


spring with you

by imnyoung



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, M/M, Side! Showki, Slow-ish burn, flowerboy!hyungwon, please ignore the summary... it suck, side! jookyun
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-26
Updated: 2018-07-20
Packaged: 2019-04-28 05:25:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 32,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14442288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imnyoung/pseuds/imnyoung
Summary: magic flowers aren’t real, but pretty flower boys are.(in which hoseok the brokenhearted office worker buys a flower to cure his loneliness)





	1. one

**Author's Note:**

> hello!! it’s me again with another chaptered fic i’ll probably never finish ㅠㅠ sorry about that but i couldn’t get this out of my head and just decided to go with it hahahaha hope y’all enjoy :-) 
> 
> also in this fic, mx live in a modern setting but in this universe, mythical creatures, hybrids, and aliens i dare say have started to live within the society as normal citizens (such as kihyun being a nymph, and changkyun is a cat hybrid, hyungwon is a flower, so on so forth)

Hoseok pants as he closes the door to his home, dropping the plant softly unto his carpeted floor, creating a dull thud. He bends over to catch his breath and tries not to think about how he just ran around town carrying a big ass pot with a tall ass flower just because he was stupid enough to forget about his car. 

Returning his breathing to normal, he stretches his back and groans aloud, the weight of the plant only now catching up to him. He starts to feel the burn on his legs first, then his arms. 

Hoseok looks at the plant standing peacefully in the dimly lit hallway of his house, half of him already regretting buying it. He scratches behind his ear, deciding to just move it somewhere that isn’t in the middle of his entrance hall, somewhere he can talk to it comfortably. 

_Right, you talk to... this._

The full effect of his impulsivity hits him then, and Hoseok ruffles his hair in frustration and for being so stupid. Resisting the urge to scream and throw the plant into the wall (despite its size), he simply exhales a deep breath and cranes his neck upwards, staring at the ceiling. Then, he tries to recall how it all came to this.

 

•

 

A week. 

It’s been exactly a week since his girlfriend broke up with him, leaving him alone to pick up the pieces of his broken heart. It usually doesn’t hurt this much, especially to Hoseok, who’s been through so many relationships and break ups. But he really thought she was _the one_. He didn’t realize that he gave away so much of himself and was too blind to see that she was starting to become distant.

And now, she really isn’t coming back to him.

Hoseok lets his head crash into his desk, making a loud ‘bang!’ and ultimately spooking his co-worker, Changkyun. 

Poor Changkyun jumps a few feet into the air, his kitty reflexes still as strong as ever since... well, he _is_ a cat-boy. 

“Jesus, hyung. Can you maybe, like, never do that again?” Changkyun scowls, his ears alert and his tail puffed up and straight. Hoseok would laugh if he wasn’t in such a foul mood. 

He sighs, head feeling heavy against his desk, “Sorry, Kyun.”

Changkyun softens up immediately and steps closer to him, petting the older’s dark locks. “Still upset about her?” He asks, tone just a little hesitant. 

“Of course I still am, it’s been a week since she left.” He sighs louder this time, trying to release his sadness through harsh breathing. Hoseok continues, voice turning more unstable by the second. “It’s just different this time, you know? I really thought that...” He trails off, bottom lip quivering. 

“It’s okay Hyung, you don’t have to explain yourself to me. You move on at your own pace.” Changkyun says, still petting his hair. 

Hoseok huffs, “Yeah, okay. Why are you petting my hair? And why are you doing it still?” Except it feels really nice, and though Hoseok doesn’t mind the younger being the one comforting him, the sensation just kind of makes him want to curl up and cry. 

The younger shrugs, “Jooheon does this to me when I feel upset. It makes me feel better.” 

He swats the hand away, “I’m not a cat, Kyunnie. Get back to work.” 

Changkyun raises his hands in defeat and goes back to his initial task of getting some coffee. When the younger is more or less gone, Hoseok sits back up and also tries to focus oh his work. Which is still blank. Fuck. 

Across from him, Hyunwoo clears his throat rather loudly, garnering the attention of Hoseok and some other employees. Hyunwoo nods embarrassedly to the others for disturbing them and looks at Hoseok when he’s sure that he’s the only one paying attention. 

“You know you can talk to me if you have any problems, right?” Hyunwoo asks, not really looking up from his screen. Hoseok nods, and Hyunwoo lets out a small hum. “And if you ever feel embarrassed to do that though, I heard that the flower shop around the block sells this plant that really helps you relax.” 

A pause. Hoseok raises an eyebrow.

“Are you telling me to do drugs?”

“No, no, it’s not drugs, and the plant doesn’t release any toxins either. You just talk to it and then... You feel better, I guess.” 

“You... you talk to it?” Hoseok gives Hyunwoo a weird look. But Hyunwoo only looks back at him seriously. 

“Yeah, you do. I think you should try it, Hoseok. I heard it really works.” 

Hoseok doesn’t believe him, but he also doesn’t want go argue with the other right now. So he taps his chin in fake thought and mumbles, “I’ll think about it.” 

 

In the end, he seriously does think about it. After realizing that he really can’t talk about it to anyone (anyone being his only friends, Changkyun or Hyunwoo) without sounding like a total whiny ass, plus the fact that he whined to them about it enough already, made him just a little bit desperate for someone to talk to. And it just so happened that this ‘plant’ helped you relax, as well as it listened to your problems without judgement or the fear of them getting bored. What a coincidence, right? 

And it was this desperation that led Hoseok to run out of his home, right after he stepped foot into his house after work. 

Honestly, he had no idea why he was running. Maybe it had something to do with the sense of urgency that always came along when he enters home, alone. He was always so used to having company back home that the silence that now filled his home made him so lonely. 

And here he thought that a plant would fill that void. 

The flower shop comes into view, easily seen with its typical red and white roof, and the insane amount of flowers decorated outside, coloring the street with its various hues. The sight is a breath of fresh air, the rest of the city painted black and white and grey with modernity, tall buildings that left no space for trees and nature.

Hoseok enters the shop, small chimes announcing his arrival. The interior of the shop looked completely different from the rest of the city, as every wall was filled with shelves of green, yellow, red, pink. It looked endless, like he was wandering inside a forest instead of a florist’s shop. 

There was just so much to choose from, it was getting hard for Hoseok to choose. _It had to look pretty,_ was his only standard. He was going to talk to a plant, and if he was going to talk to it, then the plant better look pleasing. 

But all of them looked amazing, and Hoseok was just on the verge of taking a sunflower and walking straight out of there, when his eyes land and lock on _the one._

There, sitting daintily on a lone shelf, on a wall that contained nothing but _that_ flower. There was five of them there, but the one on the far right just stood out. It was. _way_ taller than the others, along with it’s petals that seemed fully bloomed, showcasing a gradient of pink to white. Hoseok imagined it in his home. It looked perfect. 

“I’ll take this, please.” Hoseok says, a little too loudly, still feeling urgent and if he didn’t talk to anyone soon, he was sure he was gonna end up ranting to the florist here. 

Out of nowhere, a man approaches him, making Hoseok jump a bit. He didn’t see anyone earlier, but with the way the man’s red hair blended with the flowers, maybe he was just really easy to miss, camouflaging with nature and all. 

The man looked surprised at his choice, “Are you sure, sir? That plant is really hard to take care of. High-maintenance.” He explains, and Hoseok feels just a little offended. 

He looks at himself, assessing the current situation he’s in, and concludes he looks just fine. “I’m very sure that I know how to take care of my plants well, thank you very much.” Hoseok answers, eyebrows furrowing a little at how rude the florist is. 

“I didn’t mean it like that, sir. It’s just that _this_ plant is—“ The man continues but Hoseok cuts him off, tired of hearing the judgement of a man who thinks he can’t take care of a plant. 

“No, no, listen here. I have a garden at home. I assure you, I know how to take care of plants. I love nature, so I’ll tell you now that your babies are in great hands. So,” He glances at the florist’s name tag and grins, motioning at the plant, “Kihyun-ssi, if you would please.” 

Kihyun looks miffed, and opens his mouth to say something but Hoseok raises a hand, stopping him, and motions to the plant again. His mouth closes with a clack, and he moves to take the plant, all the while grinding his teeth together. Kihyun moves to the counter, placing the pot down softly, and Hoseok fishes out his wallet to pay for it. 

Except Kihyun doesn’t tell him how much the cost is, instead, he pulls out a clipboard, containing papers that he apparently has to sign. “Please sign here, here, here,” the red-head flips to another page, “here, and here.” 

Hoseok is taken aback, because what kind of plant needs to be signed over? However, he gets over it quickly, not wanting Kihyun to see him slip up, and talk about Hoseok’s lack of prowess when it comes to plants. He signs them easily, and gets ready to see just how expensive this plant is, maybe he had to sign because it cost millions? 

But it didn’t cost millions at all, it was pricey, but it was nothing Hoseok couldn’t afford. 

He pays for it quickly, itching to get home, and just talk to something else that isn’t himself. 

Kihyun reaches out to give him his change, and when Hoseok takes it, the florist suddenly holds his wrist, stopping him from getting the fuck out. 

“His name is Hyungwon. You better take good care of him.” 

_Wait, it’s a he?_

Hoseok pulls his hand free, looking at Kihyun weirdly, “Of course I will, don’t worry, man. Jesus.” And with that, Hoseok takes the plant and escapes, away from the creepy man and his creepy ass ways of humanizing a plant. 

But maybe that’s why Hyunwoo said you talk to it, because Kihyun gave it a persona? 

Hoseok inwardly shivers and decides to just stop thinking about it. 

 

•

 

Hoseok places it near his bookshelf, between the chair he uses when he reads and the floor-to-ceiling window that showcases his (actual, real) garden. He thought it would fit the aesthetic he and his (ex) girlfriend had made, and true enough, the flower fit like a missing puzzle piece. 

Hoseok was having an internal crisis. He feels weird talking to a plant, despite being the one to buy it. He does regret this after all, and he’s embarrassed to think that he’s gotten so low that he actually had to buy a plant because he had no one to talk to. 

_How sad does this actually look, Jinhee?_

At the thought of his (ex) girlfriend, all his thoughts and feelings come back rushing to him, and he suddenly feels so tired. Of feeling, of thinking of her. It still hurts, like a fresh wound being ripped open over and over again. It’s tiring, he’s tired. 

So he swallows his pride, just wanting to get rid of the heavy feeling on his chest. He wants to be able to breathe again. 

Plopping down on the chair with a heavy sigh, he runs a hand through his hair and wishes the plant would just do its magic already. 

“Uh, hey there... Hyungwon...” Hoseok starts, already feeling stupid and embarrassed but he still wants to try. He takes a deep breath, in and out, in and out. Just like you’re talking to yourself. 

“I’m Hoseok, and the reason I’m talking to you now is because I’m so fucking lonely without my girlfriend.” 

Oh my god, this is pathetic. 

Ignoring that voice, he continues. “She broke up with me recently, like last week, I think?” He pauses, “Who am I kidding? She broke up with me _exactly_ a week ago. I still remember everything. How could I not? She meant everything to me.” 

“I thought she was the one, I thought we’d get married and have kids, achieve our dreams, I thought we’d grow old together. I imagined my whole life with her. And know this, Hyungwon, I have never felt like this to any of my other exes, just her.” Hoseok sniffs, stopping to collect his wits now that they’re all over the place because once Hoseok talks about her, he can never stop. 

“Her name is Kim Jinhee, and she is the most perfect person in the world! God, I didn’t fall for her looks, but she’s the most beautiful woman I have ever met. I’m not going into all the details now, but just know that my standards are very high. That’s how pretty she is. But I didn’t fall for her looks, I fell for her personality. She’s the nicest, purest, and caring person I know. She puts other before herself, and doesn’t judge people, doesn’t think bad of anyone. She’s a plant architect, you know, the one’s that plans your garden and shit. She’s the one who designed mine, and though she isn’t coming back here anymore, I still love it. She’s perfect!” Hoseok gushes out, and he knows he sounds obsessive and shit, but he can’t help it, this is how he feels.

“We were together for a year already. February 12. The longest I’ve ever been in a relationship. I really loved her, man. I was even saving up for our future without her knowing. Like for rings and stuff, I had everything _planned_.” His shoulders droop, and even he can hear how sad he sounds. “Then last week, she broke up with me.”

“She told me that I didn’t do anything wrong, that it wasn’t my fault at all. She just... fell out of love with me.” 

“I guess she’s kept it to herself all along. And couldn’t keep pretending. She told me she didn’t know when it started, or ended. She just wanted to be honest with me.”

“But I don’t understand why. I gave her my all, became the best version of myself for her, yet... Yet it still wasn’t enough?” 

“What could I have done? What could I have done better? Would it even matter? It just feels unfair, for some reason.”

Hoseok sighs, and blinks out the unshed tears in his eyes, “I’m still not over our break up, and I think I’ll never be. When I wake up, sometimes I still think she’s there, then realize that I’m all alone now, and that her side of the bed has been cold for some time now. I still do love her, and if she ever decides to come back to me, I’ll let her. But what she wants now isn’t me, and I’ll respect that. If you love her, let her go or some bullshit.” He sniffs, wiping away his tears.

The house is empty, and it’s really dark out now, must be past midnight. Everything is quiet and still, and for the first time since their break up, everything feels calm. Instead of the overwhelming feeling of loneliness and everything a reminder of her, it’s somewhat better, somehow. It’s still there for sure, but less. It’s starting to feel like his home again. 

Hoseok looks around, and the feeling doesn’t change. He clutches at his chest, and he feels lighter, he can breathe more easily. He looks to the plant in wonder and amazement, and breathes out, “Woah.”

He doesn’t know if it’s the real deal or if he’s just suddenly feeling better, but he wants to believe in the former. He wants to talk some more, but he’s got work tomorrow, and he needs sleep. 

Still feeling weird because it’s the first time in days that he’s felt better, he stands, and drags himself to the bedroom, finally feeling the exhaustion to the bone. Before he goes though, he says in a small yet grateful voice:

“Thanks, Hyungwon. And good night.” 

 

 

Months pass, and Hoseok feels progressively better. He stopped being a sad shell of who he was before a few days after the talk. He does his job well, or even better now, in his own opinion. Still tells Hyunwoo and Changkyun everything. He met new people, made new friends, made his life better in general. It hurts less thinking about her now, and he feels _happier._ He guesses it was just a matter of time until he can act like himself again, but he really thinks that Hyungwon helped. 

_Ah, yes, Hyungwon._

No one knows about Hyungwon. Not even Changkyun or Hyunwoo. Hoseok thinks it’s a thing he’ll keep to himself to his grave. He doesn’t tell anybody because who will actually believe him when he says he has a plant that makes everything better? No one, that’s who. What’s weirder is that he gave the plant a name (well, not him exactly) and he still calls him by his ‘name’.

But despite having that thought, he still talks to Hyungwon regularly, and still believes that his magic plant is really magic because it still works every time. He takes good care of it (him) like he told Kihyun he would do, and he pats himself a good job on the back for keeping all his plants alive and well. 

Speaking of alive and well, Hyungwon is doing really great. The plant was tall before, but it just keeps growing. Hoseok had to keep ordering bigger pots for it because it grew rapidly and Hoseok was scared to go back to the flower shop and buy from there. At first, Hoseok was amazed because when he bought Hyungwon, he was as tall as his legs. Five months after, it was almost the same height as him. That sort of freaked Hoseok out but he still kept Hyungwon inside because his high ceiling still deemed him fit as an indoor plant. 

Five more months after that, it still kept growing, and Hoseok was confused because he was sure he bought a flower and not a tree. Not having much of a choice, he puts the magic plant outside, having much difficulty just getting him out the door. 

But aside from taking Hyungwon outside, his life continues on as usual. 

 

Hoseok wakes up, but not to the sound of his usual alarm of birds chirping every Sunday at 4AM. Usually at this day, he jogs in the early morning so he can break a sweat and be ready for the day. 

Well, he does break out a sweat, cold sweat, that is. 

He comes out of his bedroom slowly, looking for the noise that woke him up. Someone is persistently knocking on his door, and the rhythm of the knocking doesn’t stop or lose its beat. Hoseok is just a bit freaked out that someone is knocking this late in the night. He briefly thinks it’s Changkyun but he isn’t too sure. 

It’s coming from the backyard, where his garden is.

In the back of his mind, he thinks about all of the plants that he and Jinhee cared for, but the thought of Hyungwon was the one that made him step forward, and open the door, ready to punch the living daylights out of whoever was on the other side of this door. 

He throws his door open, and falters visibly because... 

Wow.

Standing in from of him just may be the most beautiful person Hoseok has ever seen in his life. On top of his head were the softest looking black locks (or was it dark brown?) and his face, oh my god, _his face_. His face was perfectly sculpted and there was no feature that was ugly, just beauty. Large, doe eyes that you could lose yourself in, and thick luscious lips that were slightly cracked. He was pale and really tall, and shaking, and he was... 

He was naked. In the middle of his garden, in front of his door, and in front of him. 

“Why’d you leave me, Hoseok?” The man says in a shaky, betrayed voice and Hoseok freezes up in shock, because, _what?_

_What in the world is happening right now?_


	2. two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> posting this late so no one sees lmao
> 
> but seriously i hate this chapter, i just had to get it out of the way HAHAha ha everything is shit and i am not satisfied
> 
> also nothing happens lol

“Oh my god, move. I thought I was gonna die out there.” The man says, pushing past Hoseok while rubbing at his arms. The contact of his shoulder and the stranger’s ice cold skin is what pushes him out of his reverie and back unto reality. Which is him dealing with a stranger-slash-stalker-slash-pervert. 

Hoseok promptly screams. 

The man flinches and turns to look back at him with wide eyes, like he’s the one who’s out of place. 

Hoseok feels around his pockets for his phone, realizes he’s in his boxer shorts, and pales in realization that he’s half naked in front of a pervert. 

Frozen in shock, Hoseok sizes up the man again, careful not to stare too much at his limp dick. He’s tall, but he’s also practically just skin and bones. He’s shaking from the cold, and he’s weak. Hoseok relaxes. There was no threat. 

“Hey,” He cracks his knuckles, face darkening, “You’ve got some nerve, coming into my house without a weapon. You really think you scare me?” He smirks when the man looks alarmed, pupils shaking as Hoseok moves toward him much like how a predator approaches its prey. “I might have to mess up your face first before I send you to the police and into prison.”

The stranger tilts his head, confused. “Why would you send me to the police?” 

Hoseok scoffs in both annoyance and disbelief, squinting at how ridiculous the man is acting. That is, if he is acting, because the man looks really confused, and he looks at Hoseok like there’s something wrong with him and it is seriously starting to piss him off. 

“Are you for real right now? Tell me there isn’t something wrong when a naked stranger shows up in front of your door and trespasses.” He challenges. The man looks up at the ceiling like he’s contemplating something, and seriously, why does it seem like _Hoseok_ is in the wrong? _What is wrong with this guy?_

“Uh, I live here? I’ve been living here for a while now, Hoseok.” The stranger offers, like it’s obvious and Hoseok does a double-take. _He lives here? And how does he know my name?_ “Though I don’t know why you suddenly put me outside, that was actually a bit rude.”

_He was the one being rude? Just who the fuck is this guy?_

“ _You_ live here? What is wrong with your head? Who the fuck are you even?” Angrily, Hoseok points accusingly at the man, who doesn’t back down at the challenge. If anything, the other looks just as ready to fight as Hoseok does. The man rolls his eyes exasperatedly. 

“Uh? I’m Hyungwon? Just the guy you’ve been telling your problems to every-fucking-day?” 

Hoseok pauses, and falters for the second time that day. 

“What?” It’s Hoseok’s turn to be confused. “Hyungwon is a flower. Not some naked pervert. Actually, not a human, period.”

A beat passes between the two, both standing deathly still, neither knowing how to deal with the situation. 

Suddenly, Hyungwon(?) sighs tiredly and pinches the bridge of his nose, looking everything like a done parent. “So you really didn’t know, huh?” 

“What was I supposed to know? Are you expecting me to believe you? ‘Cause that’s ridiculous, even to myself.” Hoseok deadpans. Hyungwon glares at him from behind his bangs and raises his head to look him straight in the eye.

“I’m Hyungwon. You bought me when your ex broke up with you, and you were so lonely that you talked to me.” Hoseok’s eyebrows raise but Hyungwon continues, “You haven’t told anyone about me because you’re ashamed. You cried when Changkyun drunk-called you one time and said I love you to you. Sometimes, you suspect Hyunwoo is an android of some sort, and you still do. The most times you’ve gotten off in one day is—“ 

“Alright! Alright! Hyungwon!” Hoseok cuts him off, blushing a bright red. This is the real deal, no one else in the universe knew about that. Only Hoseok and his evidently not-flower Hyungwon knew about that. Hyungwon raises an eyebrow at him, and Hoseok shudders at how human that was. “You’re a guy? Not a flower?” 

“Yeah. As you can see.” Hyungwon gestures to himself, and Hoseok is immediately reminded of the other’s undressed state. Hoseok looks away instinctively. 

“We can talk about this some more, but can you close the door first? And get me some clothes, maybe? It’s really fucking cold.” Hyungwon suggests, shaking involuntarily before moving around his apartment with ease, plopping himself down on his couch. Hoseok still feels disgruntled, his mind struggling to catch up with the recent events, but the distraction is welcomed. 

Before Hoseok closes the door though, he peeks at spot where Hyungwon used to be. And true enough:

A broken pot, soil everywhere and no flower to be seen. 

 

•

 

Hoseok brings Hyungwon some clothes like he asked, also clothing himself in the process, and is now in the living room, sitting comfortably on his couch like he’s lived there for a while now.

_Well, that’s sort of right._

Hoseok stands awkwardly to the side, feeling like a stranger in his own home while looking at the taller warily. He gave Hyungwon his thickest hoodie, which was the unused set that Changkyun got him a few months back. Hoseok’s eyes trail down his too large hoodie, and lingers on how the matching pink sweatpants are slightly hiked up on his legs, showcasing how tall the other really is. He scowls, and thinks, ‘ _At least I’m more built than him.’_

Wanting some sense of normalcy again, he tries to take matters into his own hands and gain some control of the situation, but momentarily freezes when he realizes he has no idea how to do that. He settles for sitting down on his _own_ couch, in his _own_ living room first. 

Cautiously, he sits next to the once-flower, maintaining a distance that’s considered normal for strangers (except Hyungwon knows everything about him). Hyungwon looks at him funnily, laughing when he sees the awkward gazes Hoseok often throws his way. 

“Why are you so awkward? You were literally pouring your whole heart out to me just last week.” Hyungwon snorts, playing with the strings of Hoseok’s pink hoodie.

“That’s exactly the problem. You know everything about me. But I don’t even know you!” Hoseok exclaims. Beside him, Hyungwon nods solemnly. 

“There isn’t much to know about me though. I literally turned into a human this morning.” The other points out, and the feeling of being in the dark comes back to Hoseok.

Hoseok sighs, this was starting to become troublesome, “Okay, then tell me about the basic stuff. The stuff I don’t know about.” 

Hyungwon sits back and makes himself comfortable. Hoseok has a feeling that this will be _long_. 

“I’m Hyungwon, last name Chae. I’m 24 years old in human age, and you bought me in one of the only shops that sell plants with actual souls.” Hoseok blinks owlishly, taking in the information, and it finally sinks in that this is another person he’s really dealing with. 

“Kihyun — you know, the one that sold me to you — is one of the greatest Nymphs that can wield magic in Korea. I don’t know how you don’t know that, and as much as I don’t like to toot his horn, _it’s true._ ” Hyungwon fixes him with a gaze that the older can only describe as _done._

But he continues, “Plants like me are usually bought at a young age so people or parents can instill a sort of familial bond with the child when they turn. But as for me, Kihyun already gave me the ability to think even without turning simply because I was old enough.” Hyungwon shrugs. 

“Is that why you were like, _way_ taller than the others?” Hoseok asks, everything not exactly piecing together, but he’s starting to see the big picture.

Hyungwon nods, “Bingo. It’s a good thing you didn’t leave me to die too, ‘cause you’d be charged with murder.” He says in a casual tone as Hoseok’s eyes attempt to leave their sockets. 

“What?!” 

Incredulously, Hyungwon looks over him, “Yeah, it was written in the contract. Do you remember signing that?” 

Hoseok recalls the stack of paper he skipped over. “Uh, yeah I do. But I didn’t actually read over it! What’s written there?” The older worriedly asks.

“Seriously? You’re making my job harder than it actually is.” Hoseok thought flowers were supposed to be refreshing, but with the way Hyungwon keeps sighing like an overworked middle aged man makes Hoseok think otherwise. “Alright. I’m only saying this once, because it’s hard enough that I have to remember the laws and all the other shit.” 

Hyungwon taps his chin thoughtfully, “Let’s see... Well, if I died as a plant, you’d be charged with murder and would serve years in prison. It’s about the same as human laws, honestly. Any abuse and harassment is still reported. Also stated there is the responsibility that you have to carry once you’ve bought us, since we are now actual living people. Do you want to discuss about how I have to live here now? Or another time?”

Oh man, another person? Living with him? He was _so_ not ready for this. “Listen Hyungwon, you may feel like you know me already, but I still don’t know anything about you. I can’t just trust a stranger to live here with me so suddenly...” Hoseok trails off, hoping Hyungwon gets the message. 

The younger searches his face for a moment and leans back, nodding in understanding. “You want me to move out?”

“Yes.” Hoseok breathes out, and adds, “You know me so well, it’s scary.” 

“My house has only one bedroom, and no spare rooms, unless you want to live in my living room permanently, I can’t really see how two guys are gonna fit here.” Hoseok explains, and while his bedroom was big enough for two people, he doesn’t accept strangers into his bed, so Hoseok knows what he wants. And it isn’t Hyungwon living with him.

Hyungwon laughs good-naturedly despite Hoseok wanting him out of the house. “That’s fine. I’m an adult anyway, so I guess I have to find my own place too.” Hoseok starts thanking the gods above for having someone as understanding as Hyungwon. “But you have to let me stay for a while, since I still have to look for a job, and a place to stay.”

Hoseok nods, “Yeah, no problem. I hope you don’t mind the couch though. Or we can switch sometimes?” He offers but Hyungwon shakes his head. 

“This is pretty comfy, so no thanks. I wouldn’t want to chase you away from your bed. Actually just existing here right now is making me feel guilty, but it’s your fault anyway.”

“My fault?!” Hoseok squawks, putting an offended hand on his chest.

“You wouldn’t be in this position if you thought this through, Hoseok. Or, you know, just listened to Kihyun when he tried to explain.” Hyungwon rolled his eyes, but the faint smile on his lips was enough sign to show that there was no malice spoken.

Hoseok thinks about the red-haired male trying to talk but he thought it was an insult to his skills and cut him off, and now look where it got him. Hoseok slumps his shoulders, “Yeah, point taken.” 

Hoseok looks outside and sees the morning rays greeting them. Though Hoseok can’t go jogging anymore, he thinks that now is a perfect time to get some coffee with his newly made friend, Hyungwon.

Hoseok looks away from the window and looks at Hyungwon, who is staring at him with an unreadable look in his eyes, not averting his gaze when Hoseok catches them. Hoseok would try to figure it out later, but for now his mind is exhausted and he can’t think. Coffee would fix that, though. 

“Hey, let’s go get some breakfast to celebrate your turning, or whatever.” Hoseok says, already standing to stretch out his limbs.

He turns back to the younger and grins, “My treat.”

Hyungwon scoffs, but moves off the couch to stand as well. “Of course it’s your treat, I literally don’t have anything.” He snarks before heading for the door, taking Hoseok’s favorite slippers without permission.

Hoseok huffs out a disbelieving laugh, quickly taking his wallet and phone, and hopes Hyungwon didn’t get lost without him.


	3. three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short update!!! 
> 
> also i decided to just update whenever and however it turns out lmao also i’m making this fic up as i go and i have no idea where it’s going but at least we have our flowerboy hw fix right??? bYe why am i so bad at this sorryyyy

Fortunately, Hyungwon had waited for him outside his house, meaning that he didn’t need to go and waste unnecessary energy to go find the taller. But then again, the other didn’t seem like the type to exert more energy than what was needed. As seen from his rhythmic knocks and immediate need to plop himself down the nearest surface. 

Hoseok ponders all this as they walk to the nearest coffee shop. Which happens to be his favorite. Thank fuck for small mercies. 

The small chime rings sweetly as they enter the small yet homey cafe, and Hoseok doesn’t bother looking for a place to sit, seeing as they are the only customers at this time of the day. 

Oddly enough, there’s no one at the counter, so Hoseok takes his time choosing. 

“Hey, what are you having?” Hoseok asks, eyes not leaving the menu in front of them. Currently, he’s stuck between getting something strong or sweet. 

“I’m gonna have some hibiscus tea, please.” Hyungwon answers, and Hoseok really should have expected him to order something so fancy-sounding. 

“Not coffee?” Hoseok looks at him then, and Hyungwon is looking at him again with that unreadable look, but he doesn’t pay much attention to it. “That’s usually what people order in the morning? To wake up. Tea makes you sleep.” Hoseok points out. 

Hyungwon makes a disgusted face, shaking his head in disapproval. “Whoever told you that tea makes you sleepy is an idiot. And I’m not going anywhere near coffee, that stuff is like, nature’s shit.”

Hoseok really didn’t need to know about that right when he’s about to order coffee. But now he does, and he doesn’t know what to do with the newly acquired info. About to say something to defend the coffee, the door to the employee’s room swings open and carries a flurry of black hair with it. 

“Sorry! Was out back cleaning something.” The man explains, sliding into the booth and takes out his pen and pad in one swift motion, “What would you like?”

Belatedly, the man realizes who his customer is and relaxes, “Oh! It’s just you, Hoseokkie hyung and...” The barista eyes widen when he lands his eyes on Hyungwon, who looks like a model even in Hoseok’s baggiest clothes. He continues his widened eyes to Hoseok — who’s unimpressed by his reaction — and gives him a poorly hidden thumbs up behind his paper pad. “And his pretty boyfr—“

“Do not complete that sentence, Minhyuk. I swear to god.” Hoseok threatens, nervously throwing Hyungwon a look. He mostly looks confused, but unbothered. 

“Alright, alright, what will it be?” Minhyuk grins, and that grin plainly says that he won’t be dropping this anytime time soon. 

Hoseok feels a headache coming on, so something strong it is. “One tall americano for me. Hot.” 

Minhyuk jots down the order with ease, “And you, pretty boy?” He asks, turning his whole body towards Hyungwon and bats his eyelashes at him. Hoseok glares.

Hyungwon looks at him for a second before pointing to the tea section. “Hibiscus tea. And it’s Hyungwon.” The tallest introduces, face graced with the faintest hint of a smile. 

Wow, what a charmer. 

(And Hoseok hates to admit it, but he’s a little charmed too.)

“Hello Hyungwon! I’m Minhyuk, it’s really nice to meet you.” The barista waves at his from behind the counter, and Hyungwon gives a small, shy wave back. 

“Anyway, one tall americano and one hibiscus tea, both hot, coming right up!” Minhyuk costs up the total while Hoseok shoos Hyungwon away to look for a table. “That’ll be ten thousand won.”

Hoseok pulls out his wallet and pays for both of their drinks, and ignores the way Minhyuk’s eyebrows are rising and how his eyes are dancing with mirth.

“So, Hyungwon, huh?” Minhyuk says as he takes the bills. Hoseok expected this. 

“We’re just friends, Minhyuk.” 

“Really?” The other exclaims in disbelief, “With a face and body like that, I’d go and at least _try_ , hyung.” 

“Try what?” Hoseok questions, and he should really, really stop entertaining this man. 

“You know,” Minhyuk waggles his fingers in Hyungwon’s direction, “Woo him.” He finishes as he hands Hoseok his receipt and change. 

Hoseok snatches away his receipt, “If you want to try so badly, why don’t _you_ do it? Also, keep the change.” He smiles before walking off. 

He spots Hyungwon easily enough, since they are the only occupants here, and laughs a bit to himself when he sees Hyungwon sitting on a small table for two, next to the window where he’s basking in the sun. Like a true flower. 

“That took longer than I thought it would.” Hyungwon comments when Hoseok seats himself in front of the younger. Hoseok shrugs. 

“Minhyuk is a naturally chatty person, even on a morning.” 

Hyungwon hums, looking out the window, “He seems nice enough though.” 

Hoseok laughs loudly and the sudden noise startles Hyungwon. “Minhyuk is nice to _anyone_ who’s good-looking.” 

“Oh? Am I good-looking then, Hoseok?” Hyungwon says with a small smirk, chin resting on his open palm. 

Hoseok doesn’t even think twice, “Uh, yeah, you’re like really good-looking. Even I can see that, dude.” He says like it’s the most obvious thing in the world, and it’s worth running his mouth when Hyungwon purses his lips, failing to contain his abashed smile. 

“That was so sudden, oh my god.” Hyungwon laughs, the smile lacing his voice as he hides between his hands. At the sight of his ears slowly turning red, it occurs to Hoseok that Hyungwon is feeling _embarrassed_. Over his compliment, out of everything. 

Teasing the other was apparently pretty easy to do, and Hoseok was only getting a taste of how fun it was when he sees Minhyuk coming over with their drinks in a tray. 

“Your orders, good sirs.” Minhyuk announces as he places their drinks in front of its owners. Hoseok watches Minhyuk intently. “Say, Hyungwon,”

Ah, there it is. 

“I haven’t really seen you here, so by any chance, are you new here?” Minhyuk asks, pen clicking noisily from where he is holding it behind his back. 

Seemingly recovered from his earlier episode, Hyungwon answers calmly but still not without the smile, “Ah, yes, actually. I just moved in.” 

Minhyuk’s eyes light up and he starts to dig for something in his apron. “Then, if you’d like, I can like give you a tour around here. Help you get familiar with the place.” 

“Oh, sure! I’d love to!” Oh man, Hyungwon has no idea what he’s signing up for. 

“Great! Here’s my number, just text me whenever.” He slips a piece of paper to Hyungwon, before pointing back to the booth, “I gotta go work, so you guys just enjoy your coffee!” He says before leaving with a dazzling smile.

Hyungwon holds up the piece of paper and looks to Hoseok, who snorts and opens the lid to his coffee, “Well, that went well.”

“I don’t even have any way to contact him.” 

“Yeah, true, but hey, I was just thinking. You’re like a literal flower boy. In every sense of the word.” Hoseok grins widely, purposefully trying to rile the other up.

Hyungwon gives him a look, and kicks his chair beneath the table.


	4. four

After spending a few hours at the cafe, eating free pancakes from Minhyuk who claimed he made extra, they hurry back home. Hoseok’s life goes back into track as he went to gym, meeting with Hyunwoo and spending the rest of his day as he would any Sunday. 

When he went home that night, carrying some Chinese take-out for him and Hyungwon to eat, he finds the plant splayed out on the couch, deep in sleep. Hoseok tried to wake him, but he was really knocked out. The older decides to leave him be for tonight and ate on his own.

•

His alarm blares out a shrill noise, scares off the birds outside his window and waking Hoseok. Hoseok frowns as he sits up, dangling his legs off the edge of his bed.

Hoseok wasn’t a morning person, but he didn’t dislike mornings either. There was just _something_ about Mondays. 

He quickly does his morning routine: shower, brush teeth, eat a nutrition bar, brush his teeth again, dress up for work. 

While looking for a nicer (and cleaner) dress shirt for work, Hoseok finds his old phone and remembers he has a housemate now and that said housemate was a plant just yesterday. But anyway, Hyungwon doesn’t have a way to contact him. Plugging it into a charger, Hoseok fits into a navy blue button up and gets ready to leave. 

The place is quiet, like it always has been since Hoseok is the only one who lives here, but Hyungwon exists now. 

It’s still quiet. 

Hoseok peeks into the living room, spots Hyungwon in a different position from yesterday but still asleep. The older squints at him. 

_How long has he been asleep? It’s a miracle he hasn’t grown moss yet._ He smiles to himself, walking inside the room. _Heh, nature jokes._

Hoseok steps closer to the flower, kneeling beside the couch so that they’re at the same level. He thinks of dumping water over him, but remembers that he’s a plant. Would Hyungwon enjoy that? Hoseok starts shaking the sleeping man but to no avail. 

Hoseok just shakes him harder, “Hey, Hyungwon, aren’t you gonna wake up?” 

Finally, the other man shows some sign of life, but it was only to turn away from Hoseok, almost hitting him in the face in the process. The older maneuvers Hyungwon so that he’s facing Hoseok again. “Come on, you’ve been sleeping for a day already, aren’t you supposed to be looking for work?” He scolds lightly, and starts to feel like his own mother. God. 

Hyungwon groans, burying his face in a pillow. Hoseok fights the smile growing on his face. The taller grumbles, “Ugh, I was literally born yesterday, Hoseok. You were supposed to _coddle_ me! That was the supposed process, and you fucked it up. Now leave me alone. Let me live.” He snapped, but Hoseok couldn’t take it to heart when Hyungwon was scrunching his eyes closed stubbornly, mumbling in a small, whiny voice.

Also, his voice cracked when asking to be pampered and cared for. That was _cute._

Hoseok decides he likes this whiny, softer version of Hyungwon rather than the sassy, sharp (though still as soft) version he met yesterday.

Wait, that’s a weird thought, Hoseok. You shouldn’t be thinking of adult men as cute. Or is it allowed since Hyungwon isn’t human? 

Hoseok pinched Hyungwon’s plump cheek hard enough to make himself stop thinking and for Hyungwon to snap his eyes open to glare at him. They mean death. Hoseok lets go immediately. 

“Food’s in the fridge. In case you get hungry. Help yourself to anything in this house.” Hoseok says sweetly, patting his cheek comfortingly. He points to the table, “And before I forget, that’s my old phone. My number is already there, so if you need anything just hit me up or call me. The phone is yours now.”

Hoseok glances at his watch, and is already late for work. Standing quickly, he smiles down at the confused, squinting man, ruffling his messy, soft locks. “Go back to sleep, Hyungwon. I’ll see you later.”

Hoseok grabs his bag and keys quickly, struggling to put in his shoes. He knows he should be panicking since he’s late already, but he can’t help but smile to himself when he hears Hyungwon mumble a ‘bye Hoseok’ in his direction, before rushing out the door and into the traffic.

•

True to what Hoseok said, Hyungwon did go back to sleep after he left. He was still drained from turning human and then dragged to a cafe on his first day. The plant wakes up late in the afternoon, four-something-o’ clock and the way it’s painful for Hyungwon to open his eyes tells him that while sleeping is good, oversleeping is the _worst._

He sits up from the couch and his head swims from laying down for so long, eyes still unfocused. 

“Oh, fuck.” Hyungwon sways as he stands, grabbing the headrest to steady himself. Ugh. Maybe he should have woke up when Hoseok asked him to. 

With the sun going down already, Hyungwon figured that he wouldn’t be able to find any jobs at this time. 

‘ _Not that it matters anyway,_ ’ He thinks as he decides to go shower instead. Easily maneuvering himself around Hoseok’s house like he was born there, he finds himself some clothes, underwear and a towel.

Under the constant rain of water from the great invention called shower, Hyungwon starts to feel his headache slowly ebb away. Hyungwon starts to understand why humans like to stay in the bathroom for long periods of time, because if you were to ask him, this is what heaven would feel like. 

Hyungwon just stands there, making no move to actually clean himself, he just stands there until he’s relaxed enough. His head feels clear enough for him to finally think, and maybe make up for a very late call. 

Hyungwon’s eyebrows furrow as he concentrates, recalling the face of a man he hasn’t seen in a year. His eyes close in focus. 

_Kihyun?_

...Nothing. Hyungwon tries harder, lips turning down in a small frown. He puts the tips of his fingers on his temples for better concentration.

_Kihyun. Yoo Kihyun?_

_Kihyun!_

Suddenly, there this loud and annoying (but not unwelcome) voice in his head, and Hyungwon lets out the breath he was unconsciously holding in. 

“Hello? Is this Hyungwon? I swear to god if this—“

“It’s me! Hey. Sorry I couldn’t call yesterday,” Hyungwon pauses and Kihyun _starts_.

“ _Chae fucking Hyungwon!_ Do you know how worried I was? You better have a good fucking excuse to bail out on me you sick son of a bitch!” Kihyun all but screams and it was bad enough in real life, but hearing him inside his head, clear as day, was really weird. It’s like hearing some sort of ASMR but it’s your best friend yelling at you.

“Jesus, Ki. Language.” Hyungwon exasperates, and reaches for the soap. He starts to lather himself. “Your client didn’t really know about me. Had to explain to him and all that jazz. Also had to keep him from freaking out.” The plant explains calmly. 

He can practically hear Kihyun fume from here, and chortles — both physically and mentally — “You just sold me to a man who knew nothing, you’re getting bad at your job, Yoo.” Hyungwon finishes rinsing, and reaches for his towel.

“Actually, I knew he didn’t know—“

Hyungwon makes an offended face. “But you still sold me to him?”

“— But I knew you’d be fine. It’s called a nymph’s intuition, duh. Besides, you deserve it for being an ass to me all this time.” Kihyun grumbles, then asks in a chirpy voice, “What would you like today?” 

Hyungwon raises an eyebrow, drying himself up, “Who said I wanted anything from you?” 

“Not you.” Kihyun hisses, and then, “Ah! Wait, sorry, not you ma’am! It’s- And well, she’s gone.” The florist says in defeat, and Hyungwon can imagine the way Kihyun is probably burying his hands in his hair in embarrassment then laughs at his misery. 

“I just lost a customer, no thanks to you.” Kihyun huffs, regaining his composure. “God, I miss you already, when are you visiting?” 

Hyungwon hums, checking himself out in the mirror, enjoying the way Hoseok’s smallest shirt still hangs off his frame. He foregoes wearing the sweatpants in favor of just walking around in some boxer briefs and a shirt. “Tomorrow probably.” 

“Tomorrow? So suddenly?” Kihyun asks, and it still unnerves Hyungwon that Kihyun is in his head and vice versa. 

“Yeah, I need a job.” Hyungwon states, like it isn’t much of a big deal. He finds the Chinese take-out from yesterday and three packs of ramen. “Uh, how do you use a microwave again?” 

“Put it on a plate and heat it for a few seconds. And what do you mean you need a job?” 

“Hoseok doesn’t really want me here, so I’m gonna move out.” Hyungwon says, doing as Kihyun instructed and gets ready to cook the ramen. There’s a beat of silence, and Hyungwon realizes his mistake, quickly making amends. “I mean, he wasn’t ready for me living here so suddenly. It isn’t really fair to him so I’m gonna move out.”

“ _Maybe_ he should have thought of that before he bought you. After being such a rude, know-it-all bitch, he just decides to drop responsibility like that. What a dick.” Kihyun complains as Hyungwon heats the water, puts in the noodles and seasoning. Behind him, the microwave beeps noisily.

“Hoseok isn’t that bad, really. He’s actually really nice and soft, though he’s really buff.” Hyungwon mixes the ramen and turns to take his rice from the loud contraption. It’s steaming hot and he almost drops the plate.

“Woah, so you’re suddenly on his side? What’s next? He’s hot or something?” Kihyun teases, and it makes Hyungwon stumble a little. For once, he’s glad Kihyun is only in his head. 

Hyungwon doesn’t get to say anything. 

The flower can hear the gears turning in Kihyun’s head, “Chae Hyungwon, are you shitting me—“

The front door chooses this time to unlock and in comes Hoseok, looking as good as he did this morning, loosening his tie as he toes off his shoes. 

“Whoops, that’s Hoseok. Talk to you later Kihyun.” Hyungwon rushes out, and then the presence in his head is gone, replaced by Hoseok popping his head into the kitchen. 

“Who’re you talking to— Woah! Hyungwon, put on some pants!” Hoseok shields his eyes away from Hyungwon’s bare legs. The other can only roll his eyes. 

“It’s fine isn’t it? You already saw my dick yesterday anyway, so.” Hyungwon shrugs, mixing the simmering ramen. 

Hoseok throws him a scandalous look. 

Hyungwon fixes him an exasperated one. “You wear these shorts with no top, so who’s the worse one here?”

At that, Hoseok thinks, opens his mouth to say something, but snaps it shut. 

Hyungwon smirks, turning off the stove. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. Ramen?” He offers, and Hoseok lights up at the mention of his favorite food. 

They both get comfortable on Hoseok’s countertop, sitting beside each other on high stools and the two of them don’t hesitate to gobble down their food. Hyungwon because was really hungry, and Hoseok simply because his favorite food was ramen. And Hyungwon cooked it quite well. 

Hyungwon stole a few glances to the shorter as they ate, noticing the way his shoulders seemed to slouch further and the way his eyes were sunken and out of focus. Hyungwon sighed around his chopsticks full of ramen, fully knowing these were typical Hoseok-is-bothered signs. Hoseok usually just told him right away, but everything has changed now that Hyungwon has taken a human form. 

However, Hyungwon doesn’t think it has to be like this at all. 

“Hey, Hoseok.” Hyungwon starts, putting down his chopsticks and gaining the attention of a fully-stuffed bunny. “Are you okay?”

Hoseok swallows his noodles and shrugs, “I’m fine. Why, do you have any magical powers that make you feel otherwise?” He raises an eyebrow suspiciously.

“No, but you just, I don’t know, look like something’s bothering you. Like you have something on your chest.” Hyungwon scratches at the nape of his neck. Ugh, words are hard. This is why he was always better at listening than speaking. 

Hoseok doesn’t speak, playing with what’s left of his noodles, watching the broth turn in his bowl. The flower once heard that people didn’t look at you in the eye if they were lying. In this case, Hoseok doesn’t even look at him but he doesn’t answer either. As such, he also heard that the silence meant the truth. 

Hyungwon swivels his chair to face Hoseok, and turns Hoseok’s chair with his foot to make the other face him. Now they’re facing each other, but Hoseok doesn’t meet his gaze. 

Hyungwon nudges Hoseok’s foot with his own. “You know you can tell me anything, right? Just because I’m not a flower anymore doesn’t mean I won’t listen. My purpose here hasn’t changed.” Hyungwon says softly, and smiles slightly when Hoseok looks up, and through his fringe,  
_looks_ at him. 

The other holds his gaze for a few moments, before dropping his head back down, shoulders shaking as he chuckles. Hoseok sighs, “You really have a way with words, you know that?” 

“You’d be the first to tell me, so no.” 

His head snaps up again, the confidence that was lost a while ago reappearing. “Shut up. I’ll tell you, but only if you tell me something about you in return.” Hoseok pauses, “It doesn’t have to be important or anything, just to get to know you better.” 

Hyungwon nods, and Hoseok breathes. 

“Okay, so you know Hyunwoo and Changkyun, right?” Hoseok asks first.

_Pft. Do I know them?_ “Do I know them.” Hyungwon deadpans. 

“Right. So I basically tell them everything, anything that happens in my life. Except you, that is.” Hoseok continues, ignoring Hyungwon like he never spoke at all.

“But you’re such a big thing that’s happened in my life. From being some sort of stress reliever for me, to some stranger turning up in my backyard — naked —then apparently, that was my flower who turned human just yesterday! And this flower has to live with me for a while. Oh and I don’t know anything about him, but he knows everything about me.” He stops there, the last sentence rushed out but Hyungwon heard it loud and clear. 

“So yeah, basically, I feel guilty that such big events are unfolding in my life and they don’t know anything about it. It was torture thinking about when I was gonna tell them and what they’d think of me, and you. I couldn’t even work that well. It was killing me inside and distracted me so much.” Hoseok finishes, exhaling a heavy breath he was keeping inside. 

Hyungwon nods, arms crossed over his chest as he takes it all in. He doesn’t realize Hoseok is giving him an expectant look until he speaks again. 

“Aren’t you gonna give me advice or something?”

Hyungwon hesitantly points to himself, “Me? Advice?” Hyungwon thinks he won’t be able to give good advice, since he was a plant before, having no experience of socializing outside of Kihyun and Hoseok. But he doesn’t think he’d give out the worst either. 

And, well, if it’s Hoseok who’s asking... 

Hyungwon just decides to warn him first. “I don’t know if this is A+ advice or anything, so I suggest that you think about what I’m gonna say before you take any drastic measures.” 

Hoseok smiles and leans back, finally relaxing. “You know me well, Hyungwon. I think I can trust your advice.”

Hyungwon internally gives himself a pat in the back, _Thank god his powers still work._

“I think you should just tell them. If it’s affecting you and your work so much, then wouldn’t it be best to get that weight off your chest? Besides, they’re your friends! I doubt that they’d leave you for keeping something like this a secret.” Hyungwon huffs, but Hoseok doesn’t look too convinced. 

He continues, voice steadily growing more confident in his own advice. “And if I recall correctly, Shownu was the one to suggest buying me. So he should be flattered you took his advice after all.”

“Technically, he told me to buy a plant, not some flower-turning-human. But you have a point there.” Hoseok points out and Hyungwon clicks his tongue.

“Plus add the fact that we’re living in a world where _all_ sorts of creatures co-exist in a society. It’s not that weird, Hoseok.” Hyungwon adds, making motions with his hands. Scratch whatever he said earlier, this was great advice! Hyungwon would take it. Nothing could go wrong. 

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. I’ll think about it, like you said I should do.” Hoseok waves him off, and Hyungwon rolls his eyes at him but smiles after. They continue eating in silence after their conversation.

It wasn’t until later when Hoseok is washing the dishes that he remembers that Hyungwon hasn’t told him anything about himself yet. They just finished eating and Hyungwon has cleaned the countertop already, joining Hoseok near the sink but not doing anything to help him. 

He sits on the counter next to Hoseok, comfortably chatting about Hoseok’s day, the older being the one to talk, and Hyungwon giving out side comments here and there. 

They were in the middle of talking about Hyunwoo forgetting how to make coffee today when Hoseok remembers. 

He points a soapy finger in Hyungwon’s direction. “Ah! You haven’t said anything about yourself yet!” 

Hyungwon moves away from his finger, looking mildly confused before remembering as well. “Oh, right. Well, I told you before that there isn’t much to know about me yet, but if it helps, I’ll tell you my plans for tomorrow.” 

“I’m going to the flower shop tomorrow. Visiting my friend.” Hyungwon says, swinging his legs while looking up in thought. He looks back at Hoseok’s expectant face. “Uh, that’s it.”

“What time are you going? Maybe I can drop you off.” Hoseok goes back to his task at hand, occasionally looking at Hyungwon while he talks. 

“Sometime in the afternoon, probably.”

“The afternoon again?” Hoseok waves a hand to him, water and soap being flung the flower’s way. Hyungwon tries to dodge, but it only results in his legs getting wet. Hoseok doesn’t take notice of it. “Just wake up in the morning. I’ll drive you.” 

“Ugh.” Hyungwon drags out, mornings are the worst. “Fine, but you’re waking me up.”

Hoseok recalls this morning, and how much of a struggle it was to wake the other up. It’s gonna be hard, especially since Hoseok wasn’t much of a morning person himself, but Hyungwon was also acting really cute this morning. _That,_ he’d like to see again. 

Hoseok faces his direction and smiles widely, “Challenge accepted.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this all gets somewhere, i swear
> 
> also realized this is a slow-ish burn kind of fic, so i added that to the tags !! :))


	5. five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> henlo i’m back!! i hope the POV isnt very confusing. I got lazy and i cant choose who's pov i’m taking. sorry if it’s confusing! also sorry for any mistakes, i’ll check over them tomorrow morning!!

Hyungwon wakes to a noise that closely resembles a screaming chicken of an alien pitch. Unwilling to open his eyes and wake up to reality, he swats his long limbs around, eventually hitting something solid and it clatters sadly to the floor. Guilty, Hyungwon gets one eye open to see Hoseok scrambling to pick up his phone. 

Hoseok glares at him as he stands back up, holding the blaring alarm next to Hyungwon’s ear. “Wake up, sunshine. You’ve got somewhere to be today.” 

Hyungwon groans, shoving the phone away and covering his eyes with an arm. “God, it’s too early for this.” To which Hoseok —finally— turns off the phone and picks Hyungwon up by his armpits, wrestling him to a sitting position. 

Hyungwon may or may not have acted stubborn just to have Hoseok closer for a bit longer. 

“You have to take a bath! Get up already!” The older scolds, the angry mask he has on crumbling from how his voice shakes with laughter. Hyungwon leans his head to Hoseok’s chest, basking in its sturdiness and warmth. Hoseok lets him, and snakes his arms around Hyungwon’s droopy shoulders, holding him in place to keep him from lying back down.

“Flowers don’t need to bathe, we’re naturally fresh.” The plant-man mumbles, the satisfied curl of his lips hidden by Hoseok’s biceps.

Hoseok discreetly tries to bury his face in Hyungwon’s hair, tries to be subtle but the way he loudly sniffs the black locks did not help at all. 

Hyungwon lets out a snort and Hoseok decides to fuck it all. 

Hoseok looks down at him in amazement. “Woah, you smell ama— that’s amazing, they smell exactly like...” Hoseok pauses, and Hyungwon looks up at him, chin resting against his chest. “Er, uh, I don’t know the exact flower, but it smells floral!” The older laughs it off and very quickly looks away from Hyungwon’s gaze. 

“Uh-huh.” Hyungwon says, none too impressed. He pushes Hoseok gently, prying his fingers away. “Contrary to what humans do, I really don’t need a bath right now. I’m clean and I think I smell fine. That’s mainly what baths are for, right?” 

Hyungwon pushes him again, this time in the direction of the bathroom. “You, however, take part in this human ritual every morning. So you take a bath!”

Looking as if he’s in a daze, Hoseok doesn’t say anything else. He looks at Hyungwon for a moment longer than necessary, eyes unreadable, and turns into the bathroom. 

Hyungwon lets out a deep sigh. _Was that too obvious?_

He thumps the back of his head on the headrest, looking contemplatively at the ceiling. 

Was he too obvious? Hyungwon knew he himself had a hard time controlling himself while half-asleep and the warmth Hoseok seems to radiate everywhere didn’t help. 

Maybe Hoseok just let Hyungwon indulge himself this time, finally feeling closer to Hyungwon as a human and not as a plant. Or maybe Hoseok was just a naturally affectionate person, and this was nothing out of the ordinary for him. Maybe he was the type of person who held and hugged and kissed because that was normal for him.

Oh god. Hyungwon hoped the latter wasn’t the case.

Forcing himself to move, he finds himself in the Hoseok’s room, looking for clothes that’s suitable to wear.

When Hoseok steps out of the shower, Hyungwon is lying face down on the couch, seemingly asleep again. He’s dressed already though — some new sweatpants and another loose shirt tucked into them. Both from Hoseok’s closet. The older can only hope he changed his underwear. Or if he even wore any. 

Hoseok shakes his head and lets it slide for now, proceeding to his room to find it even more of a mess than it was already. When he peeks into the laundry basket, he sees three pieces of clothing worn by Hyungwon. Hoseok breathes out of relief, at least he had the decency to change into some new underwear. 

He slips into his work clothes and wakes Hyungwon, making him brush his teeth with a spare toothbrush he has. Hopefully, Hyungwon doesn’t mind decent human neatness and strawberry flavored toothpaste. 

When they both get into his car, the atmosphere was strangely comfortable for two people who just met yesterday but knew way too much about the other. Hoseok was hesitant to break the silence, and he didn’t. Not until they reverse out of his garage and into the city unknown (at least to Hyungwon). 

Also, the car smells amazing. The floral scent coming from Hyungwon calming and not overbearing in the small space, way better than the pine tree Hoseok has hanged on his rear-view mirror.

Hoseok catches himself glancing every so often to his side, almost hitting the car in front when he spaced out and accidentally stared. Hyungwon’s face was passive, looking almost bored with the way he rests his face in his palm, just looking out the window. 

But Hoseok knows better. 

How? He doesn’t know. What he does know is that the way Hyungwon’s eyes go slightly wider when he sees how tall the buildings are and how colorful the streets can be. The way his eyes follow the people and shops, sometimes subconsciously following said things with his head. 

Hyungwon is amazed. It’s honestly endearing to see. 

So Hoseok slows down his driving and rolls the windows down instead of blasting the AC on its highest like he usually does. 

“Great city, right? It’s the most successful city in all of Korea.” Hoseok starts, making small talk. 

“Yeah, who knew a city could be so vibrant?” Hyungwon answers, slowly sticking his head out the window. 

Hoseok pulls him back, “Don’t do that. And I assure you, this part of the city is the best part. The other half is just, gray, tall buildings next to each other.” 

Hyungwon raises an eyebrow, “I assume that’s the part of the city where you work?” 

“Yep.” Hoseok purses his lips, stopping at a red stoplight before brightening up and points to a cafe down on the left street. “Oh! That’s my favorite cafe! They serve the best americanos known to man and their strawberry cake is to die for.” Hoseok moans a little, imagining the sweet decadent melting in his mouth. He turns to Hyungwon, “Want to make a small stop?”

Hyungwon throws him an incredulous look, “Aren’t you gonna be late for work?”

Hoseok checks his watch. Well. “I already am.” Scoffing at the time, he shrugs like he can’t believe it. “So, you up to it? Think fast, ‘cause you only have thirty seconds before we go.”

“You’re gonna lose your job one day, Hoseok.” Hyungwon clicks his tongue, shaking his head in faux-disappointment. “But I’m gonna have to pass.”

Hoseok is weirdly disappointed. And it’s weird because he isn’t particularly hungry and/or craving cake, and they have good coffee at the office. 

The light turns green, and Hoseok steps on it, passing by the cafe with his heart oddly heavy. 

Hyungwon speaks up, and Hoseok glances at his direction _way_ too much. “But, I wouldn’t oppose to that this weekend. If the offer is still up.” Hyungwon looks up at him from under his lashes and offers him a small smile, and the feeling in his chest goes away. 

‘ _Eyes on the road, Shin._ ’ Hoseok scolds when he catches himself staring at the other. Holy hell, how can someone be so pretty? Like, Hoseok knows attractive when he sees it. And Hyungwon is _it_. Hyungwon really is a fully-fledged flower boy. 

“The offer still stands! And I’ll hold you to that. I’m starting to crave cake.” Not true, but he’ll have their strawberry shortcake anytime of the year. 

“Great! Wouldn’t want you to be fired because I wanted some coffee and cake.” 

Hoseok throws him a look, “Hyungwon, in case you haven’t noticed, I’m already touring you around the city. My office isn’t _that_ far away.”

Hyungwon gives him an equally exasperated look, “Just drive me to the shop and get to work already.”

Hoseok raises one hand from the steering wheel in surrender, “Chill, we’re almost there. I’ll leave the boring bits of the city for another day.” 

Hoseok turns the block, the flowers easily catching his attention with its colors and natural beauty. “See? There it is.”

He stops in front of the shop, helping Hyungwon open the door when the other helplessly couldn’t. Hyungwon closes the door softly and peeks into the open window. 

“Thanks for the ride, I’ll see you later.” Hyungwon pats the car before turning to leave, but Hoseok catches his wrist. 

“Wait! How long are you gonna be here? Am I gonna have to pick you up later?” 

Hyungwon laughs, throwing his head back, “Is this how having a mother feels like? So many questions.” Hoseok clicks his tongue and lets go of his wrist, starting to drive away. 

Hyungwon hangs on his window, and Hoseok stops. “Wait! Okay, geez. I was gonna have Kihyun drive me home, but I’ll text you if I’m still here and you’re off work, okay?” Hyungwon smiles and tilts his head like a dog waiting for approval and it _really_ gets to Hoseok. 

Damn that smile, since Hoseok is a sucker for pretty people with pretty smiles. It’s how he got attracted to Jinhee in the first place. 

Ehem, anyway. 

“Do you even know the address?” Hoseok asks, because he’s pretty sure Hyungwon doesn’t know. 

Hyungwon looks around in thought, “Uh, no. I actually don’t. Just text me the address. And hurry to work, you’re so late already.” Hyungwon leans back and waves. 

“Right. See you later, have fun!” Hoseok says in a preppy, too-cheerful voice.

Hyungwon rolls his eyes, “Okay, bye _mom_.” 

Hoseok tips his head and drives off, starts thinking of excuses so his boss wouldn’t kill him too much for being almost an hour late.

•

The chimes that greet him still sound the same, Hyungwon feels the familiar atmosphere of the flower shop catching up to him. The scent of the flowers are pleasant, tickling his nose with their pollen and Hyungwon resists the urge to sneer at the plants.

“Kihyun!” Hyungwon yells, announcing his arrival instead of finding the said man and greeting him like an old friend you haven’t seen in a year. The silent calm is immediately shattered, but to be completely fair, there is no silent calm when Kihyun is involved.

“We’re closed, you idio— Hyungwon!” Kihyun runs his dirty mouth, coming out from the back, apron soiled with, well, soil.

He throws his hands up in the air and runs towards him, hugging him with the full force of a bull. Hyungwon is perplexed at this sudden development. 

Despite the sudden affection, he hugs Kihyun back, not at all minding the few moments of them getting along like decent human beings. 

When Kihyun backs out, he looks at his chest, continuing up to his face. “Hyungwon! You’re so much taller than when you were last here.” He deduces, his expression a mix of confusion and offense.

“No shit, dipshit.” Hyungwon rolls his eyes and raises his chin a bit taller, smirking when Kihyun drops his friendly attitude to a frown. He’s so easy to rile up, it’s funny. 

“Pushing it, Chae. Maybe I won’t give you the job anymore.” Turning away, the smaller purposely steps on his toes. 

“Ow- Wait!” Hyungwon grabs his shoulders and turns him right back to him, smiling brightly compared to Kihyun’s unimpressed look. What a wet blanket, doesn’t he know what banter sounds like? 

“Please let me keep the job — or hire me, you know. I’m a great addition to the team!” He gesture to all the plants, who sway at the prospect of a friend joining and taking care of them. “See? Everyone loves me!”

Kihyun only raises an eyebrow, obviously expecting more. And damn him, Hyungwon doesn’t want to do this. 

“Pretty please? I’m gonna end up on the streets if I don’t have this.”

Kihyun smirks triumphantly, and what that was it? Hyungwon expected he wanted him to grovel on the floor and worship him.

“Welcome to the job then,” He snaps his fingers and a black apron similar to what Kihyun is wearing floats towards them. “I’ll hire you, but only if you tell me what’s going on with you and muscle-man.”

“Deal.”

The apron is put over his head and tied behind his back, “Okay, spill.”

They walk over to the seats near the counter, the familiar aroma of chrysanthemum tea powering his senses and Hyungwon doesn’t waste his time pouring himself one. 

“I’m not even gonna hide it. The man’s attractive as hell, and frankly, I’m quite attracted to him too.” Hyungwon raises his teacup in toast, before drinking from it. “Hot, like Hoseok.” 

Kihyun looks disgusted. “Gross, man. Get yourself together.” 

“I can’t! I’ve been itching to tell someone for so long, and you’re my only friend, so I’m pretty wound up right now.” 

“Hyungwon, I know you’re a closet pervert or something,” Hyungwon squawks out a shrill ‘what?’, “But you are out of control, you’re a flower boy, people are supposed to be falling over for you.” 

“Weird sentiment, but I can’t help it! Hoseok has a really nice body — and by nice, I mean _really_ nice, — he’s fucking handsome, and to top it all off, he has a great personality as well as great care for plants.” Hyungwon lists down, finally getting the crushing weight off of his chest. It’s been brewing in him for months and the thirst for the older man continues. 

“Ew, you’re whipped. Does he know?” Kihyun blinks. Hyungwon blinks back. 

“No, why would he need to know?” 

“I don’t know! He looks a hundred percent straight to me but he might be into you as well.” Kihyun pauses, gesturing vaguely at Hyungwon. “But like, not as much as you. You’re on another level, I can see from your body language, as well as the overwhelming scent of carnations coming from you.”

“I don’t think so, remember that he’s kicking me out? Yeah, I think that’s a negative on that.” Hyungwon sips on his tea, looking at Kihyun with disdain but speaks up again anyway, “Plus, I flirted with him on the way here, and there was no response. I never knew I’d be so bad at flirting.” 

“No surprise there, awkwardness personified.” He stands and dusts of his pants, peering at Hyungwon in the corner fo his eye. “Sad love life, frog. But the shop opens in an hour and I have five more bouquets to finish. I assume you know how things work around here?” 

Kihyun doesn’t even wait for his response, “Good. Help me with those flowers, would you?”

“Okay, fill me up with the details.” Hyungwon rises as well, leaving his teacup at the counter as they walk into the back. 

Being here is calming, as well as refreshing. Hyungwon didn’t realize how much he missed this place (and admittedly, Kihyun) until he enters out back, and sees the spacious greenhouse Kihyun has crafted with his magic. There are rows and rows of plants and flowers, blooming and colorful as the city, and Hyungwon breathes it all in. 

Kihyun briefs him on the bouquets, mostly romantic anniversary stuff that Hyungwon wish he had, though he’s plenty happy to make bouquets for people in love. He takes two sets of workload from Kihyun’s hands and they work together side by side in Kihyun’s assembling table. They talk about everything’s that’s happened and they even banter. Hyungwon didn’t know he was capable of doing that.

 

Hyungwon finishes without a hitch, his skillful hands doing their work, making the bouquets come out beautifully. Hyungwon is proud of the color combinations he had to pull on this one, they really compliment the whole idea of romancing someone. 

“Woah, that looks beautiful.” Kihyun pauses, working on the last bouquet. 

“Right? Hold on, I gotta take a picture of this.” Hyungwon says, pulling out his phone and takes multiple pictures in multiple flattering angles. 

“Yeah, good job on the first day, rookie.” Kihyun elbows him and instead of growling out an insult, he preens under the praise instead, ignoring the last word he said.

“Oh, and by the way, you’re more than welcome to stay with me in my apartment. You don’t have to live on the streets or stay with that man who knows nothing about you or plants.” Kihyun adds softly, and it would have been more touching if he didn’t insult his man in front of him like that.

Nonetheless, Hyungwon appreciates the offer and it shows. It’s great and all, but Hyungwon isn’t sure that he wants to leave the Shin household just yet. He doesn’t want to just leave without becoming his friend and earning his trust when Hyungwon has formed a one-sided bond with him. He trusts him with his life (he literally did) and it just seems like a flat end to everything they’ve been through. 

Also, Hyungwon doubts they could stand one another for more than 48 hours. 

“Kihyun, I appreciate the offer, but I think I’ll stay with him for a while longer. See where this takes me, you know?” Hyungwon shrugs, looking down at the mud that has accumulated around his (Hoseok’s) shoes. 

“Alright, but don’t come crying to me when he finally kicks you out.” Kihyun snorts but Hyungwon knows he means it. The staying part, not the kicking out part. Kihyun offers him a smile to let him know he’s kidding.

Hyungwon smiles back, “Thanks, Kihyun. You’re a real life-saver.” He checks his phone for the time, and it’s time to open. “I’m gonna go flip the sign up front.”

Kihyun waves him off and resumes his work. Hyungwon wonders if he’s making the right choice, or if he’s making the biggest mistake that will end up with his hopes up and his heart broken after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> criticisms are greatly appreciated!!


	6. six

Hoseok haphazardly parks into his building’s parking lot, not even bothering to get his car into the correct space as he runs to the (thankfully) waiting elevator. His hair is a mess, his tie is crooked and there are papers peeking from his suitcase. 

He fixes himself in the elevator as the elevator goes up into the 20th floor, hoping to any deity that his boss (or worse, _Siwoo the secretary_ ) isn’t waiting for him on the other side. 

The elevator stops and opens, Hoseok stands still with his hands clasped politely in front with his most handsome smile. Fortunately, no one is waiting for him, and he can possibly get away with being late this time.

So Hoseok just creeps in the halls and into his desk, turning his computer on without a sound. 

A scream. “Hyung! When d’you get here?” Changkyun says, loudly. 

Hoseok aggressively shushes the young one, a finger on his lips and Changkyun just furrows his eyebrows closer together. Hoseok points the finger to him, “I wasn’t late.” 

Changkyun rolls his eyes, “Give it up, Siwoo already marked you as late a long time ago.” Hoseok groans and sags in his seat. 

Hyunwoo peeks around his monitor, and Hoseok already knows what he’s gonna say. “Why were you so late?” 

“I wasn’t that late!” Hoseok answers, defensive. 

The youngest snorts, “Right, and I’m not gay.” 

Hoseok’s computer finally boots up, and he opens the file he’s working on, doing anything to avoid the barrage of questions he knows is coming. 

Changkyun sniffs loudly. Then again. Hoseok ignores him because the kid’s weird like that, plus he’s done weirder things in the past. He imagines his invisible whiskers to be twitching right now. He doesn’t even flinch when Changkyun comes closer to him and smells his hair, then his clothes. 

“Hyung,” He calls teasingly with a sly smile on his lips. Hoseok looks up at him, not liking his sudden change in tone. 

“Were you seeing someone before work? You smell a lot like flowers! Who’s the lucky girl?” Changkyun excitedly reaches for the closest chair with his tail, sitting himself on it before expectantly waiting for an answer. 

Hoseok is taken aback, “What? I don’t smell like flowers, I smell normal.” He speedily lets out, and squints at the younger. “And why would you assume it’s a girl?”

“So you are seeing someone? A boy?” Changkyun says at the same time as Hyunwoo deadpans, “Hoseok, you reek of it.”

People are starting to take notice of their steadily rising conversation, giving them dirty looks since they’re working meanwhile they’re talking about Hoseok’s love life. Normally, Hoseok wouldn’t care, but since it’s him the conversation’s about, he doesn’t want anyone eavesdropping on them. 

He pushes Changkyun back to his desk, which is right next to him, and hisses, “At least pretend to be working, dumbass.” Hoseok glances to Hyunwoo, but he seems to have caught on and is typing away at his keyboard. 

Changkyun whines and starts typing gibberish, “There. So now, your boyfriend?”

Hoseok sighs out a heavy sigh, he already decided yesterday to talk to them about his plant turned human. And he doesn’t want to delay it any longer because he knows he won’t get any work done. 

“No boyfriend.” He confirms, and Changkyun groans disappointedly, face palming when it’s Hoseok’s problem he’s single. Even Hyunwoo’s shoulders sag at little at the news. “But I am living with someone.”

“You what?!” The two of them shriek, and Hoseok cringes at the volume. No one bothers shushing them. 

“Yeah, he’s a dude, but like not really...” This is a difficult topic to breach, where does he even start? “Remember when Jinhee broke up with me? And you—“ He points to Hyunwoo, “—suggested I get a plant?”

Hoseok speaks again before Changkyun can insult him. “Yeah, that’s right, I bought one!” Hoseok grins triumphantly and sounds oddly proud of the purchase, despite the lonely and desperate context it has. 

“Hoseok hyung, that’s... sad.” Changkyun pats his knee sympathetically. 

“Yes it is.” He nods, agreeing that he was a sad bitch who refused to talk to anyone about his loneliness. “However, the thing is, it worked!” 

“I actually felt better after talking to a plant! Can you believe that?” Hoseok knows he sounds desperate and pitiful, but he’s being 100% genuine right now. Hyunwoo is giving him a pitying look from the corner of his eye.

“Hyunwoo, don’t look at me like that, it was your idea!” Hoseok warns him, “Anyway, I’m not crazy, it really works, so I just always tell him everything and feel while lot lighter afterwards.” 

Changkyun puts a hand up, looking at him worriedly and rather skeptically, “Him? What do you mean by that? Are you—“

Hoseok gives him a look that shuts him up, “I was getting there.” 

”Apparently, I purchased a flower that turns into a human after a year.” The silence that ensued shows how baffled the two really are, even Changkyun, who never shuts up. “Crazy, right? He’s older than the other ones like him— who are like kids by the way— and he’s an adult already. His name is Chae Hyungwon and he’s living with me until he finds a job and and an apartment.” Hoseok breathes out, now that the secret is out, the weight is off his chest. Hyungwon was right, he thinks he can finally work after this. 

The two are just itching to ask away, but they wait until he’s finished. “Okay, I’m now accepting questions.”

Hyunwoo, the ringleader, finally speaks out, “So you kept all this from us, the past year?” 

“Yes, I’m sorry!” He clasps his hands together, looking apologetic, “I didn’t have the need to say everything because I already told Hyungwon everything.” 

Changkyun raises a hand, and Hoseok grants him the ability to speak. “Is he like, pretty? Or _really_ pretty?” He asks in all seriousness, face void of any emotion. 

Hoseok scoffs, giving the younger a disbelieving look, “Really? That’s all you have to ask me?”

Changkyun shrugs, “He’s literally what people call a flower boy, right? Flower boys are typically pretty.” He explains, leaning back in his chair. “Also, you haven’t answered my question.” 

Hoseok grinds his teeth together, “Fine! Yeah, he’s _really_ pretty! He looks unreal, straight from an anime.” 

Changkyun smirks his devilish feline smile, the type he knows will get him a beating from Hoseok later. “So, he’s your boyfriend.” He doesn’t ask.

“Not my boyfriend!” 

The cat hybrid leans forward conspiratorially, “Not your boyfriend _yet_!” He giggles like a girl before leaning back and relaxing fully, tail swishing. “No further questions.” 

“Hyunwoo?” Hoseok prompts, but the other is deathly silent and Hoseok worries that he’s broken their friendship with his secret. Oh god, Hyungwon was dead wrong.

Hoseok panics and blabbers on, very close to begging for Hyunwoo’s forgiveness and friendship. “Hey, I’m sorry that I didn’t get to talking you guys until now. It’s sorta embarrassing to even talk about it now. I mean a grown ass man talking to a plant? Talk about depressing.” Hyunwoo doesn’t show any response. “I’m really sorry—“ 

“No, I haven’t been completely honest with you guys either.” Hyunwoo cuts him off, and the statement prompts the attention of the two. 

Hyunwoo is looking down at his mousepad, a soft thing that Changkyun got them both, the one with the huge anime titties. Thankfully, the design has worn off. He looks almost guilty, and it’s a first for both of them to see Hyunwoo with an expression so openly... expressive. It’s weird.

He looks them both in the eye after a pause, “I have a boyfriend.” 

Hoseok blinks— and would imagine Changkyun did too— before they look at each other, then back to Hyunwoo. They shriek at the same time.

“ _You what_?!”  
  
  
  
  


•

  
  
  
  
  
Which is how they end up in Hoseok’s car after work, with Hyunwoo on the wheel, and Changkyun making squealing noises in the backseat. Hoseok’s hands sweat as he sits in shotgun. He’s not nervous about Hyunwoo driving his car, no. He’d trust Hyunwoo with his life, including his car.

But meeting his boyfriend the same day they learn about him? Oh no, that’s a recipe for a disaster in Hoseok’s dictionary. 

They literally know nothing about him. Just that he’s a dude, and that they started dating three months ago. 

Changkyun had been so persistent in meeting him that Hoseok had been caught in the adrenaline of the situation, and they would’ve stopped if Hyunwoo had said a simple ‘no’ to their pleas. 

But Hyunwoo didn’t say yes or no. 

Hyunwoo just kept silent and after work, he was pushed (with Hoseok and Changkyun’s strength combined) into the driver’s seat without any struggle or complaint. That was a win for the two of them. 

Now, Hoseok just wishes he thought this through better. 

The engine stops and Hoseok is brought back into reality, Changkyun’s noisy chatter clearing up like he had cotton stuffed in his ears before. He looks at the older man. 

He looks just as nervous. 

Hoseok looks out the window, fully prepared to see some sort of billionaire’s condominium and the boyfriend who has the same great body that Hyunwoo has standing there, ready to judge them. 

Fate, however, has other plans.

The same red and white stripes from this morning greet him, awfully bright for a cold night such as this. Hoseok feels like it’s mocking him. 

“Aww, hyung! That’s cute! You getting some flowers first?” Changkyun coos, visibly elated at the fact that Hyunwoo is dating a guy. Hoseok is as well, before all this, they thought he was a hundred percent straight.

Hyunwoo just nods stiffly, and gets out of the car before Hoseok can stop him. Hoseok reaches out to grab him, but the older shuts the door harshly, resulting in Hoseok’s fingers crushed and what feels like a broken bone. 

He manages to grab ahold of Changkyun before he can exit the vehicle, ignoring the pain. Desperately, he holds one of Changkyun’s lapels in his hand to keep him from going out. 

“What are you doing?” Changkyun asks, eyebrows raised and Hoseok knows that he has to choose his words wisely because this is Changkyun we’re talking about and he _can’t_ know, he _can’t_ know that Hyungwon is in there.

“Let’s just stay in here, he probably won’t be long.” Hoseok persuades, and regrets that he held the youngest by the throat to tell him to wait here. Suspicious much?

“And what? Miss Hyunwoo hyung pick out flowers for his boyfriend?” The familiar bells chime and the noise fades as Hyunwoo enters the shop. Changkyun fixes him with a stern look, “We both know it’s gonna be a disaster, I can’t miss that for the world!”

“Changkyun!” With that, the youngest rips his hand off with strength Hoseok didn’t know he possessed, running after Hyunwoo like an ecstatic child going into the candy store. 

_Fuck_ , Hoseok thinks as he slams his head against the headrest, holding his bruised fingers in his okay hand. 

He just got over the tell-them-about-Hyungwon milestone today, Hoseok is nowhere near ready for the next milestone to be achieved yet. He contemplates sitting in his car until they get back with a bouquet of flowers that would remind him of someone. But then thinks it’s even more suspicious to just sit here, when they know Hoseok wouldn’t miss a soft event (read: Hyunwoo with flowers) for the world. 

So, Hoseok runs with all his might to the flower shop, hearing the now-annoying chimes for the third time this night. Inside, Changkyun is standing to the side, looking at some flowers while Hyunwoo is talking to some red-haired dude. Hyungwon is nowhere to be seen. 

_Phew._ Hoseok wipes invisible sweat from his forehead. _Crisis averted._

Wait. Red-haired dude? 

“Oh shit.” Hoseok hisses to himself, turning quickly to join Changkyun‘s flower viewing. He turns his back to the florist, hoping to god that he doesn’t recognize him. 

He takes out his phone to ask Hyungwon his whereabouts, but someone clears his throat loudly behind them, and Hoseok isn’t ready, Hoseok _isn’t_ ready, _Hoseok isn’t ready_!

Hoseok and Changkyun turn around, the older turning way too slowly, unwilling to show his face and wanting to delay the news he’s going to have to reveal for the second time today. 

Hyunwoo looks relaxed now, his shoulders aren’t squared anymore, his muscles aren’t threatening to pop out of his shirt and he looks calmed, his eyes soft and his lips upturned. Also, he has an arm draped around the florist’s waist. Hyunwoo proudly introduces: 

“Guys, this is my boyfriend, Kihyun.” 

Hoseok feels his jaw drop to the floor, and sees Kihyun’s jaw do the same as they lock gazes.

Seemingly turned to stone, the two just look at each other with varying degrees of ‘what in the actual fuck’. Changkyun, ever the sharp boy, senses Hyunwoo getting apprehensive, so he takes matters into his own hands. 

“Hi, I’m Changkyun!” The youngest introduces himself cheerfully, then points to him, “This is—“

“Hoseok?” Another voice calls, and everyone’s heads whip to the closing door of the employee’s room, spotting a tall man in an apron carrying a basket of flowers, looking confused at the whole situation. 

Hoseok knew he shouldn’t have gotten out of that car. 

At the mention of his name, everyone now turns to Hoseok, who looks like he ate a thousand sour grapes. He glances around at everyone one by one, before settling his gaze on the newcomer, putting on a forced smile and wiggling his okay-fingers in his general direction. 

“Hey there... Hyungwon.” He greets, dropping the smile and letting out a defeated sigh before saying Hyungwon’s name. He isn’t bright enough to come up with some grand plan to hide the flower boy’s identity from the two. 

A beat passes. Hyunwoo looks the most confused, Kihyun looks uncomfortable at the whole situation, and Changkyun is pointing between the two of them with a bewildered expression. 

“Wait, you’re Hyungwon?” Changkyun half-screams, his cat ears twitching.

Hyungwon looks delighted at Changkyun recognizing him, perking up at him. “Yeah! They know about me?” He directs the question at Hoseok, who nods solemnly. This was not how he imagined his evening to go down.

“I told you it would be fine.” Hyungwon adds, before taking notice of the two men looking rather cozy with themselves. “And who’s this?” Hyungwon regards the couple with a weird smile, and Kihyun’s uncomfortable look turns panicked in a moment. 

“My— my boyfriend, Hyunwoo. Say hi, hyung.” Kihyun stutters out, lightly slapping Hyunwoo’s chest. The older spurs into movement with the contact, like a machine.

He raises the arm that’s not around Kihyun for a handshake. “Hi. I’m Hyunwoo, nice to meet you.” Hyungwon looks at the hand then at Hyunwoo’s face, looking awkward and stiff so suddenly. 

Hoseok hasn’t really seen Hyungwon around other people, aside from himself, but he looked alright that one time he met Minhyuk, the only other human Hyungwon knows. He’s never looked so anti-social up until now. Does he have something against Hyunwoo?

Hyungwon raises the basket in his hands, “Er, same to you! Kihyun, can I talk to you out back for a moment?” He looks and talks pointedly to Kihyun, who bows his head in shame. He calmly walks back to where he came out from, Kihyun following closely after reassuring Hyunwoo, “It’s nothing babe, he’s just a twig.”

Hoseok doesn’t know what to think about what just happened, but the two of them being all weird and secretive leaves a bad taste in his mouth. He would assume Hyunwoo feels the same. 

“So that’s why you didn’t want to come in here! And smelling of flowers this morning, probably because of all this?” Changkyun, not as sharp as he used to be, was only putting the pieces together now. Hoseok had been hearing the cogs turn in his head ever since Hyungwon appeared. 

He sighs defeatedly, “Yeah, I’ll admit it, I didn’t want to come in because I knew he was gonna be here. But I wasn’t lying about him being a flower! He really smells like this!” Hoseok refers to the whole place, as the shop has plants and flowers hanging off every nook and corner. He can even point them where he got Hyungwon in the first place—

Holy shit. Hyunwoo didn’t. 

“You!” Hoseok gapes at Hyunwoo, looking scandalized at the revelation he just had. “How long have you been seeing Kihyun?! It’s been a year since I’ve had Hyungwon!”

Hyunwoo winces, “I didn’t know they turned human at the time! Kihyun just talked about them and I remembered they helped and I told you!” 

“Like I said, I’ve had Hyungwon for a year, and you’ve known Kihyun for what, longer than that? Are you telling us the whole truth?” 

Hyunwoo shifts from foot to foot, clearly caught red-handed. “I’ve known him for more than a year, yes. But we really just got together three months ago. Before we just had, _this tension_ that none of us acted on.” Hyunwoo starts to ramble.

Thankfully, the back door bursts open before they can hear information they _don’t_ need to know. 

Hyungwon and Kihyun come out unscathed, aprons gone and Kihyun’s bag slung over his shoulders. The atmosphere is uncomfortable, settling just between formal and tense. Hyungwon clasps his hands together in an attempt to dissolve the tension. 

“Today’s been a long day, no? Let’s just call it a day for now, and continue this tomorrow? Hoseok, shall we?” Hyungwon says without pause, walking towards him with an outstretched arm. 

Hoseok jumps up, “Oh yeah, totally.” He links his arm with Hyungwon’s, happily obliging to getting the hell out of here. 

“We’ll book you taxis. And, it’s nice to see you again, Kihyun.” Said man gives him a displeased noise. 

“And it was nice meeting you both, I think we’ll see each other very often.” Hyungwon adds, then the two of them turn in sync, Hoseok opening the door for Hyungwon before they’re out in the cold night, the chimes drowned out by the noise of the city. 

Hoseok breathes deeply, he was starting to get choked up in there. 

Hyungwon still has his arms linked with his, warming himself up by rubbing his hands on his arms. “That was weird, wasn’t it?”

“Let’s get you in the car first before you make any small talk.” Hoseok takes notice of Hyungwon’s shaking form, opening his side of the door and guiding him inside. Only when Hyungwon is settled, he climbs into the driver’s seat and buckles himself in before reaching around Hyungwon and buckling him in too. 

“Thanks.” Hyungwon mumbles quietly as Hoseok leans back to get to his own seat. 

“Not a problem.” Hoseok replies, switching the engine on and turning the heat on. 

“As I was saying, weird, right?” 

Hoseok starts driving, steeling himself to not look at Hyungwon as much as he did this morning lest they get into an accident. “What? Hyunwoo and Kihyun? Yeah. Very. But...” 

“But you were too.” Hoseok adds after a moment, not sure if what he said was right. Hyungwon was acting weird earlier right? Why would he need to talk to Kihyun without their presence? 

“I was?” Hyungwon hums in thought. “Maybe I was. Do you think I made a bad impression?”

“To Changkyun? Probably not, the kid loves you already. To Hyunwoo, though? Hell yeah. What did you guys even talk about?” 

“Ugh, it’s nothing.” Hyungwon groans into his hands.

Hoseok lets one hand stray from the steering wheel to pry the other’s fingers off of his face, and boy, they are fucking cold. “It’s obviously not nothing if you’re this worked up. Come on, I saw the look on your face before you two talked.”

“I’m worked up because my best friend’s boyfriend hates me.” Hyungwon pouts, hand tightening slightly around Hoseok’s. “But I’ll hold the other side of deal just for you.”

Hoseok feels his chest tighten for a moment, suddenly feeling a lot more hotter that he did before. He just turns the temperature lower. 

“I felt betrayed because I basically told Kihyun my whole life story, and he doesn’t even tell me he has a boyfriend.” 

Hoseok raises an eyebrow, “Does he have to tell you that?” 

“Not really, but I would think he at least owes me that after what I told him.” 

Hoseok doesn’t really understand, but then again, he also doesn’t understand the relationship of the two.

They stop at a red stoplight, but the roads here are empty and void of humans. He feels Hyungwon’s fingers unconsciously twitching. 

Hoseok looks at his and Hyungwon’s hands, then at Hyungwon, only to find that he’s already looking at him. There’s this certain aura around them right now, the comfy silence, the solidarity, the contrast of warmth and the cold from Hyungwon. It’s making Hoseok feel calm, like time is slowing down. 

In a short spurt of confidence, Hoseok lightly interlaces his fingers with Hyungwon’s. “You would tell me everything, right?”

Hyungwon doesn’t look at their fingers, instead focusing his gaze on him. Hoseok finds that he doesn’t mind Hyungwon staring at him very much. He watches as the younger looks through every feature of his carefully, ducking his head to finally look at Hoseok’s loosely intertwined hand with his. 

He stares at that too, tightening his hold ever so slowly, whispering, “Of course I would.”

Hyungwon doesn’t look back up at him, but the warmth they’re sharing through carefully intertwined fingers is more than enough assurance for the rest of the ride home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don’t look at hyungwon and drive, folks.
> 
>  
> 
> also, i’m not very satisfied with how i’m writing this :(( i get this feeling that the characters are way off and the pacing is too slow or something
> 
> please, please tell me what you guys think, any suggestions or criticisms, because i don’t think i’m giving hyungwonho enough justice 
> 
> anyw, thank you for all the kudos and for reading!!


	7. seven

Birds aren’t singing, there is no blaring alarm clock to smash, and the sunlight that creeps into the room is muted by the thick curtains.

Ah, yes, the afternoon, the perfect time to wake up in Hyungwon’s world.

Afternoons are just so slow, you know? The sun blaring outside makes you want to stay in (even in Hyungwon’s case: he’s a frickin’ _flower_ ) and relax, kick your feet up and enjoy some tea, watch some TV, maybe sit in the shower all day. 

However, as tempting as staying in all day sounds, Hyungwon has other plans today. He didn’t get that day-off for no reason, after all. 

_(“How did you even convince Kihyun to give you a day-off on your second day in the job?!” Hoseok screeches, probably wishing he could do the same._

_Hyungwon shrugs, nonchalant. “Guilt-tripped him.”)_

He wanted to get familiar with the neighborhood, get to know the house next door, make friends with the locals, maybe not get lost when he gets urges to walk alone, die somewhere when Hoseok doesn’t come find him.

This place is huge, and Hyungwon knows not to try. 

Which is why Hyungwon contacted the cute barista from a few days ago— Minhyuk. 

Minhyuk is nice, considering he hit on him the first time they met, but Hyungwon thought that was flattering. A bit noisy, he’s used to that though, with Kihyun by his side throughout his life. He also responded suspiciously when Hyungwon texted him first, replying: _’new phone, who dis???’_

Past that though, he agreed to meet him at the cafe for lunch rather quickly, and thankfully Hyungwon remembers how to get there. He also kept on texting even though it was done and established they were seeing each other tomorrow, Hyungwon left baffled at how easy conversation seemed to come to Minhyuk, and how pleasant it was to talk to the bubbly male. 

Now, Hyungwon knows how to use emojis and type like a pro. He knows all the slang there is to know. 

He spots Minhyuk easily from the wall length windows the cafe has, brightening up the place like the sunshine he is, eating away at pasta with his mouth opened wide, laughing at something. 

Or rather, someone.

They aren’t alone it seems, as Hyungwon walks into the cafe and steps in front of Minhyuk’s table.

Minhyuk’s eyes widen when Hyungwon appears suddenly, “Oh, hey Hyungwon! This is Jooheon, a friend of mine. He just happened to be here so I took a coffee break.” 

Jooheon, a cute guy with dimples so deep, you could see them every time he moved. He has cute floppy ears perched on his head and a tail peeking from the chair. A real Border Collie if Hyungwon ever saw one.

Jooheon scoffs, “You begged me to be here.” He turns to Hyungwon with a bright smile, “I’m Jooheon, nice to meet you.” 

Hyungwon sits himself across from them, smiling back at Jooheon, “Chae Hyungwon, hi.” 

Minhyuk claps once, startling Jooheon and Hyungwon in the process, “Great! Now that that’s out of the way, what’s with you and Hoseok hyung? Spill the tea, bitch.”

Tea, as Hyungwon learned yesterday, was not only a beverage but also juicy gossip. While bitch, was, well, a curse. But Minhyuk liked to call him affectionally with that. “There is no tea to spill, Minhyuk. I just live with him.”

Jooheon’s eyebrows spike up, looking flabbergasted. “Wait, are we talking about the same Hoseok hyung? Really nice, really beefy?”

“That’s the one.” Hyungwon leans back in his seat. Honestly, there could be other Hoseoks who are nice and beefy, but it just fits him so much, Hyungwon is sure it’s him. 

“What do you mean there’s no tea? That’s some excellent tea right there!” Minhyuk excitedly says, then points to him with a knowing look. “You know, I was gonna ask you out ‘cause you’re so cute, but now I think ‘Hyungwon and Hoseok’ and that’s like, ten times more cuter.” 

Hyungwon splutters, “What? There’s nothing between me and Hoseok!”

“Dude, you’re living with him, that’s pretty telling by itself.” Jooheon inputs, shrugging. 

“You guys are boyfriends, we get it. No need to be shy about it.”

Hyungwon feels like these two are reasonable people, maybe if he explains himself, they’ll get it and get off his case. “No, no, no. I’m living with him cause he bought me—“

“What?!” They both screech.

“—As a plant last year.” Oh man, maybe Hyungwon should’ve phrased that a bit better. Plants don’t usually magically turn into humans, you see.

“Oh yeah, I’ve heard of that, the plant-human thing.” Minhyuk nods, and Hyungwon is surprised, flower-humans weren’t generally known yet. “Kihyun, a good friend of mine, told me all about it.” 

“Is everyone your ‘good friend’, hyung?” Jooheon, a good friend of Minhyuk, elbows him teasingly, and again, Hyungwon is surprised.

It’s Hyungwon’s turn to raise his eyebrows, apparently they have a common friend. “You know Kihyun? Small, nags a lot?” 

“Yeah! He’s the one who supplies the flowers out front. They’re really pretty, but Kihyun won’t give me a discount ‘cause I keep ‘annoying’ him.” Minhyuk huffs, seemingly upset that he couldn’t wheedle his friend of a few won. 

“Is it weird that I know Kihyun too?” Jooheon pipes in, and yes, it is weird. Kihyun isn’t much of a people person. Or rather, people are usually scared of him. 

“How even?” Hyungwon asks, equal parts baffled, curious, and fascinated. Huh. It’s a small world. 

“Oh, my boyfriend has a colleague who’s boyfriend is Kihyun.” The dog-hybrid taps his chin, “Hey, now that I think about it, he works with Hoseok too...”

Jooheon taps his chin a few times more, then perks up and has a revelation, then snaps to look at Hyungwon. “Oh man, you’re _Hyungwon_!”

Minhyuk looks between them, confused, but doesn’t ask what’s going on. Meanwhile Jooheon is mumbling to himself in disbelief, _I can’t believe I didn’t connect the dots earlier!_

“Changkyun’s your boyfriend? I met him yesterday.” Hyungwon explains to Minhyuk, who backs off with his mouth in an ‘o’ shape. 

Today, Hyungwon met two fine men, two of which have a direct connection to Hoseok, and it occurs to him that, even without trying, he’s now in the same friendship circle as his housemate. It’s a _really_ small world. 

“Yep! He told me all about yesterday, by the way, hope you don’t mind.” Jooheon chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck embarrassedly. 

“I don’t mind. But hey, does Changkyun like me? I don’t think I left such a great impression back then.” 

This time, Jooheon guffaws, clapping his hands on his thighs. “He _loves_ you, man! He thought you were perfect for Hoseok.”

 _’Again with Hoseok.’_ Hyungwon thinks to himself. He ignores Jooheon’s last statement in favor of jutting his bottom lip out and rolling his eyes. 

“I was promised a tour of the neighborhood today, not being roasted about my non-existent love life with Hoseok.” The flower states, clicking his tongue in faux-disappointment. He learned ‘roasted’ from Minhyuk too, who knew it would come in handy today?

“And a tour you’ll have!” Minhyuk exclaims, standing from his seat and shimmying out of the booth. He takes off his apron and holds out a hand to Hyungwon, “Care to join me for lunch in the finest cuisine the neighborhood has to offer?”

Hyungwon takes his hand, moving from his seat to stand next to his tour guide. “Oh, I’d love to! I’m really fucking hungry right now.” 

“We won’t disappoint! And you, honey?” Minhyuk looks to Jooheon, who gathers his stuff and stands as well. 

“Can’t. I’m meeting Changkyun for lunch, sorry. Next time, though!” 

Shortly after, he leaves the cafe, bidding goodbye to the both of them quickly, seemingly already late for their lunch date. 

He and Minhyuk are already outside, seeing Jooheon off, and the older turns to him, smiling widely. “Well, looks like it’s just you and me!” 

Hyungwon can’t help it, he smiles back. “Seems so, let’s go?” 

_”Let’s go!”_  
  
  
  
  


•

 

 

 

Turns out, the neighborhood’s finest cuisine was their local all-day breakfast diner. They decided to eat first before the tour, stopping by first at Minhyuk’s favorite place to eat.

The vibe of the diner is American retro-ish, with stools lining the counters, refillable coffee, roller skating waiters and a jukebox at the side that Minhyuk reveals doesn’t work anymore. Hyungwon is all for the foreign yet calming atmosphere of the place, especially since he woke up late today and didn’t manage to get breakfast. So he isn’t gonna be picky now. 

( _”So they really don’t serve anything here that isn’t breakfast?” Hyungwon asks mid-scoop of his scrambled eggs, with bacon on the side._

_Minhyuk hums around the pancakes in his mouth. He politely swallows before answering, “Well, sometimes they serve pizza and chicken wings on good days. Usually weekends.”_

_Hyungwon nods, wondering if this is the infamous pizza place Hoseok used to order from when he wanted to eat away his sadness._

_The flower-boy watches as Minhyuk happily gobbles down his three fluffy pancakes, hears the laughter of a family behind him and feels the smile growing on his face and thinks,_ Nah, this isn’t the place.)

The neighborhood they lived in was smaller than he thought. Minhyuk brought him to the small library, the bakery (they made great muffins), walked him through all the houses, introduced him to some of its occupants, and showed him his own house. 

Minhyuk doesn’t live alone, he lives with two other people who work in the city as a photographer wannabe and a boring business henchman (in Minhyuk’s words). Only one is at home, a guy named Youngjae, but he looked so sleep-deprived that Hyungwon didn’t even dare bothering him. 

( _”Who’s the other one?”_

_They’re sitting on the stairs leading to their porch, not wanting to make a ruckus inside. “We call him Bambam ‘cause it’s a pain to call him his whole Thai name.”_ )

A block away from Minhyuk’s house is the neighborhood park, which Hyungwon loves because of the plants all around and the intricate stone path leading up to the biggest tree. Connected to the park, is a playground that the two of them played around in. Some people looked at them weirdly, but Hyungwon couldn’t be bothered when he was so high up the swing. 

( _Don’t ask about the red scratches on Hyungwon’s arms._ ) 

Later, the two look at each other and realize that Hyungwon is already familiarized with the neighborhood yet the sun is still up and out. After a small conversation of whether they should go home and call it a day or not, Minhyuk decides to take his tour outside the neighborhood and into the city! 

Which is how they end up riding the bus to go to Minhyuk’s favorite clothing store (which happens to be the biggest in Seoul), picking out clothes for Hyungwon after discovering everything Hyungwon wears is part of Hoseok’s closet. 

( _”That’s sweet, hun. But everything Hoseok owns is at least five times bigger on you.”_

 _Hyungwon pouts and whispers to himself, “I like it that way, though.”_ )

Minhyuk holds up two pieces of clothing for Hyungwon to inspect, a black ribbed turtleneck and a long sleeved striped sweater with a white collar. “Which of these two do you like better?”

Hyungwon glances at them once, and returns to looking at shirts who look fashionable to him, “Why would I need to wear something like that, Minhyuk? I only ever go to work.”

Minhyuk looks affronted, “What about your dates?” 

“What dates?” Hyungwon asks, looking worried all of a sudden. “Oh no, Minhyuk, is this a date?”

Minhyuk rolls his eyes, arms dropping exasperatedly. “Your date with Hoseok, dummy. Now pick.” 

Hyungwon eyes the two critically, taking them and holding them up as he looks in a mirror, taking his time choosing. In the end, he throws both of them in the shopping bag. “Doesn’t matter, I’ll take both.”

“Great!” Minhyuk picks up his shopping bag, rummaging through its contents, “What is this, Hyungwon? Why are there so many shirts?” 

“Let me live comfortably, please.” The flower huffs, taking the bag. “And I only took, like, six shirts?”

“I’ll admit these shirts look great at least, but this won’t do.” Minhyuk clicks his tongue and shakes his head, pushing him to another section of the store, “How about some pants?”

They spend thirty more minutes fitting Hyungwon in pants, Minhyuk insisting Hyungwon model for him (he didn’t) before they proceed to checkout after taking black, ripped pants, normal denim pants, slacks, two button downs, and a pair of white sneakers. 

Just as Hyungwon finished paying, watching the girl behind the counter fold the clothes neatly and put them into bags, Minhyuk squeals right next to him, picking something off of the rack. 

“Hyungwon, look at this.” Minhyuk holds up a thin-wired frame, and holds Hyungwon still so that he can wear it on him. 

Minhyuk pokes his eye, “Ow!”

“Sorry.” Comes the sheepish reply. The glasses rest on his nose and ears, and it feels weird to have this foreign weight all of the sudden. 

“It looks really good! See for yourself.” Minhyuk compliments, turning the mirror to face Hyungwon. 

Hyungwon inspects the frames on his features, and he will admit, he doesn’t look bad. Hyungwon isn’t shy about his appearance, quite the opposite actually. He likes how he looks, and he’s confident in them. And with the glasses, well, Hyungwon thinks he looks pretty damn cute. 

“He’s right, it looks good on you.” The girl behind the counter says, leaning on the counter to take a closer yet bored look at Hyungwon. 

“Don’t try and wheedle money from my friend, Chaeyoung!” Minhyuk laughs, taking the glasses off of Hyungwon and places them for her to scan. “We’ll take it.” 

Chaeyoung takes a new pair of glasses from behind the counter, scanning for its price and puts it in one of the bags. “Just stating the truth, oppa. And these glasses are for display, please put them back.”

Minhyuk puts it back and pays for the glasses, winking at Hyungwon for good measure. “You need these glasses if you want to seduce Hoseok.”

Hyungwon just rolls his eyes at him. 

The sun is finally setting when they exit the store, carrying six paper bags in their arms containing Hyungwon’s wardrobe for the next few years. 

They stand in the sidewalk for a moment, both still unwilling to go home. They both look around for something to do when Minhyuk perks up, pulling Hyungwon by the arm. “Let’s go see, Kihyun!” 

_No!_ Hyungwon screams silently, he specifically got his day off today so that he wouldn’t see Kihyun. Too bad Hyungwon didn’t say anything earlier, because either Minhyuk is a fast walker or the flower shop is really close by.

The familiar chimes ring as the door opens, Minhyuk screaming as soon as they enter, “Kihyun-ah! Guess who decided to pay you a little visit?” He sing-songs, and Hyungwon rolls his eyes at how extra his friend is. 

Kihyun is crouching at the counter, closing up for the day. (Weird, isn’t it still too early to be closing?) “Minhyuk, I swear to god, I don’t have time for you today. I have somewhere to go to.”

Minhyuk huffs, “Alright, but look who I brought along!” He tacks on cheerily.

You can hear Kihyun sigh heavily without seeing him, before he pokes his head out enough to see Hyungwon standing beside Minhyuk. A weird sight to see, two of your separate friends, together. This gathers enough of Kihyun’s attention to stand, dusting off his pants. 

“What are you two doing? Together? And what are all these bags? This was what you were going to do?” Kihyun asks, consecutively, without pause. 

Hyungwon looks to Minhyuk like he can’t believe he nagged at him the very second he saw him. 

“Also, what are you still doing together? We’ve got somewhere to be!”

Hyungwon’s head snaps to the smaller, “We?” 

Did he mention ‘we’? What did he mean by ‘we’? Hyungwon doesn’t remember making plans with Kihyun today. He doesn’t even have any plans after this. 

Kihyun looks about done, “Check your phone, idiot.” Kihyun stalks off to the employees room, presumably getting ready for wherever ‘they’ were supposed to be. 

Hyungwon fishes his phone out quickly, the lock screen showing a message sent by Hoseok a few hours ago. 

_From: the shin hoseok_

_hey the boys want to meet for dinner later. theyre bringing the bfs :/_

After that, Hoseok texted him the name and address of the restaurant. Behind him, Minhyuk gasps, apparently reading the whole thing from over his shoulder. Nosy bitch. 

Minhyuk squeals, shaking Hyungwon excitedly. “We bought these clothes for a reason! You have to wear something other than—“ He gestures to Hyungwon’s attire. Hoseok’s old band shirt and some sweatpants since none of his pants fit him. “—this.”

Hyungwon is offended, what’s wrong with what he’s wearing? 

“C’mon, you have to choose something!” Minhyuk insists, rummaging through his purchased clothes. 

Seeing Minhyuk looking for clothes for him makes Hyungwon feel bad if he were to attend dinner without treating the bubbly male as thank you. He planned on getting them some dinner with Kihyun since they’re already here, but that plan just went down the drain.

“Hey, Minhyuk, you want to come with?” Hyungwon asks off-handedly, already thinking of what to wear. 

This makes Minhyuk pause in his search, he blinks, “I’d love to, if they’re okay with it.”

Hyungwon smiles at him, pulling his phone out once again, “I’m sure they wouldn’t mind.”

_To: the shin hoseok_

_can i bring someone with me??_  
  
  
  
  


•

 

 

 

Hoseok replied to Hyungwon’s text with an ‘ok’ emoji, hopefully the other has lived long enough to decipher what that means.

He’s been sitting in their booth for a while now, his two colleagues sitting across him, while Jooheon who arrived moments after the sit down, is right beside them. There’s a seat next to him for Hyungwon, and across him is Hyunwoo, who has a seat reserved for Kihyun next to him. 

Of course Hyungwon can bring someone with him, Hoseok doesn’t even doubt for a moment it’s Kihyun. Hyungwon doesn’t even know anyone else. He specifically said they were bringing their boyfriends, so either Hyungwon is denial that his friend is in a relationship, or he completely forgot what happened yesterday. 

Hoseok is brought out of his stupor when Jooheon taps his shoulder, smiling brightly at him. “Hoseok-hyung, I met Hyungwon earlier!”

Oh, cool. 

_Wait, what?_

Hoseok voices this out loud, but his confusion is drowned out by Changkyun groaning in disbelief, “You met him before me? Ugh, what luck.”

Why does Changkyun even want to meet Hyungwon? It’s not like they’re boyfriends or anything. Hyungwon is just living with him until he finds his own place. 

“Yeah, he’s a pretty chill dude. Though I pretty much forgot to tell you that earlier.” Jooheon says in an apologetic tone. Changkyun just shrugs. 

Hoseok is about to ask ‘how even?’ but he is once again drowned out by Jooheon pointing out the window, “Oh hey, here they come!”

The entrance opens and the waiter greets them cheerfully, Kihyun comes in first, looking like he always does, just without the apron. He swiftly takes his seat next to Hyunwoo, greeting them shortly. 

Then comes in Hyungwon... and Minhyuk? 

Actually, Hoseok would have been more surprised at the sudden appearance of the barista, but Hyungwon is... To be frank, he’s distracting him. 

Hyungwon is wearing a red and blue striped sweater with a white collar, looking rather big but it suits him. The large top accentuates his long legs (seriously, legs for _days_ ) in black, ripped pants that show skin with how big the rips are. He’s wearing sneakers that Hoseok doesn’t recall having, and perched on his cute face are thin wired glasses. 

He would usually whistle lowly if his friends were looking bomb that day, or at least compliment them, but when it comes to Hyungwon, the most he can do is gape at him, eyes still trailing along his figure. 

_Hyungwon looks damn amazing._

Hoseok always knew Hyungwon looked amazing in whatever he wore, I mean, he lived with him. He could be wearing rags and all but he’d still look good. But seeing him in actual clothes that weren’t his, actual clothes that made him look every bit like a model, made Hoseok look again and again. Almost like a magnet, there was a certain pull that Hoseok couldn’t ignore, that kept him from looking away. It was pulling him in. 

“Damn, hyung! You’re smokin’!” Jooheon whistles for him, openly checking out the taller. 

“Shut it, Jooheon.” Hyungwon pouts at him, taking the seat beside Hoseok after Minhyuk not-so-subtly elbows him towards it. 

Jooheon laughs wildly, “Last time I saw you, you looked like you just woke up to buy something from the convenience store.” 

“I did just wake up.” Hyungwon grumbles, but so silently that only Hoseok heard him.

“The bitch wasted half his salary on clothes alone,” Kihyun wails, not very happy that the early pay he gave Hyungwon yesterday was already gone. “Hoseok, you better take his bags from my trunk later, it’s full as fuck.”

Minhyuk found a seat, placing himself in the center of the table. He clasps a hand on Kihyun’s dramatically, whispering, “It’s for the greater good.”

The waiter comes to their table then, asking for their orders. Hoseok orders ramen while Hyungwon orders salted shrimp. Hoseok thought Hyungwon was a vegetarian, then it occurred to him, wouldn’t that be cannibalism? 

While the others order, Hoseok leans into Hyungwon, whispering in his ear, “I’m gonna tell you now that these guys are gonna ask some pretty weird stuff. You don’t have to answer them if you don’t want to.” 

Hyungwon faces him, and their faces are so close that Hoseok feels the ghost of Hyungwon’s hair brush his nose. He raises an eyebrow at the older. “It’ll be fine. I already mentally prepared myself in the car on the way here.” 

The flower boy smiles proudly, lips curling at the sides like a satisfied cat. “Gave myself the pep talk! Or more like, Minhyuk did. Anyway, I’ll be fine.” He waves his hand dismissively.

Kihyun talks to Hyungwon, effectively stealing away the younger’s attention away from him. Hoseok would have joined the conversation, but he’s just so fucking distracted. 

He finds himself glancing at Hyungwon every so often, watching his face as he talks, observing his features. He never knew how much Hyungwon actually rolled his eyes, or how he doesn’t try to hide his laugh, or how he tries to stifle his smile but in the end, he always lets loose and ends up smiling blindingly. 

Sometimes, he ends up staring at Hyungwon’s lips as he talks, not registering the conversation but just watching as he smiles and quirks his lips. Sometimes, Hyungwon even catches him staring, and directs the smile towards him. 

Hoseok would always look away, acting like he wasn’t caught in the act and engrossing himself in whatever Hyunwoo was talking about. 

As they were eating, and Hoseok has gotten over Hyungwon’s face or just Hyungwon in general, he sees Hyungwon playfully stealing food from Minhyuk, and occasionally giving him an exasperated glare whenever the barista gives him a _look_ (Hoseok doesn’t know what kind of look it is, but it’s a _look_ ). 

Hoseok elbows Hyungwon, the younger facing him with a mouthful of shrimp. “I’ve been meaning to ask, how was your date with Minhyuk?”

Hyungwon looks at him weirdly, the looks at Minhyuk, who’s eating peacefully, but anyone can see his ear twitching as he eavesdrops on them, then back to Hoseok. He swallows before replying, “We didn’t go on a date.”

Hyungwon snorts, “Hyung, if you’re worried about me dating anyone here, it wouldn’t be Minhyuk.” 

Minhyuk squawks, revealing that he was indeed eavesdropping, he whines, “Why not?”

At the same time, Changkyun perks up, ears alert. “How about me, hyung?”

Hyungwon coos, “Oh, of course I would.”

Changkyun fucking _purrs_ , preening under his attention, and Jooheon, his boyfriend, has his tail wagging happily behind him. _Why is he even happy about this?_

He doesn’t realize that he’s sort of glaring at them until he looks back at Hyungwon, and his gaze softens as the flower looks at him, head tilted slightly.

 _He looks so soft,_ Hoseok gushes internally, sweeping across his features _again_. He spots something green in his hair, and Hoseok chuckles lowly, _Aww, he’s so clumsy, that’s so cute._

He clasps a hand on Hyungwon’s shoulder, “Hold still, you’ve got a little something here.” He reaches up and plucks the vegetable out from his hair, but he pulls it with a small crack and Hyungwon flinches. 

“Ow, fuck, motherfucker, what was that?!” Hyungwon hisses in pain, holding the spot in hopes of soothing it.

Hoseok holds what he thought was a vegetable pinched between his fingers, and upon closer inspection, it was actually a small sprout. He holds it out to Kihyun, “Hey, what’s this?”

Kihyun squints to look at it, before saying, “Oh yeah, you’ll be growing sprouts, only a few though.” 

He stands and motions Hyungwon to come closer, ruffling his hair softly, “Oh, look, you’ve got flower buds growing too.”

At that, Hoseok is sure he isn’t the only one who thought, _’Oh, that’s adorable!’_

Minhyuk squeals suddenly, flailing his hands around. “Aww, that’s adorable!”  
  
  
  
  
“Ah, I’m so full! Hyunwoo hyung, I hope you’re up for driving today, I feel like I’ll fall asleep at the wheel.” Kihyun yawns for full effect and it works wonders on Hyunwoo. 

“Sure, to my place or yours?” Hyunwoo asks, and at that point Hoseok has tuned them out in favor of taking Hyungwon’s stuff from Kihyun’s trunk. 

He wasn’t lying when he said it was full, there are so many bags! 

Hyungwon helps him put them in his trunk, the oldest couple being the first to leave, followed by Jooheon and Changkyun who takes the subway. 

Hoseok closes the trunk, leaning on it ah Hyungwon does the same. “So, how was today?” 

Hyungwon groans, patting his belly, “Amazing, shrimp is the best!” He sags further into the car. “I’m tired as fuck though.”

Hoseok laughs, moving to unlock his car, “Then let’s get home already. Next time, I’ll take you to this place who serves the biggest shrimps in Seoul.” He says as he hops into the car. 

Hyungwon follows suit, fake gagging, “Stop. That sounds great, but if you talk about food one more time, I might just puke here.”

Hoseok looks seriously to Hyungwon, “Please don’t.” 

Hoseok starts the car, hand already on the gearshift to start driving away, but Hyungwon’s hand on top of his stops him from moving. 

“Wait,” Hyungwon starts. Hoseok looks up from their hands to his eyes, keeping their gazes level. Hoseok would be lying if his heart didn’t start beating faster the moment they locked gazes, and his heart didn’t skip a beat when Hyungwon’s palm held his hand. 

A silence befalls them, and it lulls Hoseok into a comfortable space, like time is slowed down whenever he’s with Hyungwon in the car, and there’s a moment that he feels something for the younger. He would describe it as... fondness. 

Yeah, just _that_ , fondness.

“What is it?” Hoseok prompts, still unable to look away. 

Hoseok thinks he sees Hyungwon move closer to him, but that just might be his imagination. 

“Aren’t we forgetting someone?” 

As if right on cue, Minhyuk knocks on Hoseok’s window, crying out, “Were you guys seriously leaving without me?”

Hyungwon slides his hand off of his, and Hoseok can’t say he’s not disappointed. 

To be completely honest, he feels his heart drop to the floor. 

Instead of showing it, he huffs loudly and unlocks the car, “Fine, get in, loser.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh hoseok, a man in denial :(((( just realize it already
> 
> on another note, i love hyunghyuk and kihyuk and kihyungwon and kihyunghyuk so so so much!!!! 
> 
> as always, thank you for reading!! kudos and comments are much appreciated! ❤️


	8. eight

 

“When will I ever live my life?” Hyungwon whines as he still lies in the couch, waking up only to turn the TV on, watching some early morning drama.

Hoseok walks into the living room carrying two steaming mugs of chamomile tea. Hoseok actually doesn’t like tea very much, Jinhee drank them often, but Hoseok never bothered to drink them with her. But Hyungwon never drinks anything else but tea and water, so they always have this supply of tea freshly boiled or refrigerated. Hoseok thought it was a waste to have make coffee when there’s always tea in the house, so now, he’s learning. 

And it’s not half-bad. 

He eyes the show playing —a spontaneous road trip to the beach, ridiculously good scenery, and _way_ too many drone shots— as he makes himself comfortable next to Hyungwon’s legs, giving the younger his mug. Hyungwon takes the mug with a sigh, thanking him quietly while blowing off some steam.

The trip does look fun, they’re all smiling widely and splashing water everywhere (heaven knows Hyungwon loves that), and when he looks back at the other, he can see the longing in his eyes, and Hoseok feels just a teeny bit sad for him. 

“What’s your life like right now, anyway?” Hoseok does the same to his tea, still not very fond of the leafy aroma it has. 

Hyungwon huffs, “Work, get home, sleep...” He blinks once, then sighs heavier. “That’s it.”

Hoseok laughs, careful not to spill the hot liquid but Hyungwon still kicks him. “Not like I didn’t know that already, but it’s still sad every time I hear it.” He fake-sniffs, wanting to appear sympathetic, but it just earns him another kick.

Hyungwon groans, moving to rest his feet on Hoseok’s lap. “This sucks. You suck.”

Hoseok laughs again, looking over at the younger fondly. “Oh, come on, don’t be like that. Didn’t you go out with Minhyuk a few days ago?”

“I did, but all we ever do is talk at his cafe during his breaks.” He waves a hand around, now eyeing the show with distaste. “You don’t want to know what we talk about. Besides, aren’t you tired of hearing about him?”

Hoseok smiles sheepishly, choosing not to answer. To be honest, yes, Hoseok is tired of hearing about him. Just hearing his name makes Hoseok’s eyes want to roll back, not that he’s tired of Minhyuk. He’s just tired of hearing about Minhyuk _from_ Hyungwon. There was literally a week where all Hyungwon talked about was Minhyuk this, Minhyuk that, did you know Minhyuk, and Minhyuk said— it just got tiring quickly, but he never told Hyungwon any of that. 

Hyungwon was obviously elated to have a new friend, a friend who he clicked with so easily, and Hoseok wasn’t gonna spoil that for him. Especially since he probably talked like that about Jinhee and his friends to Hyungwon, but he never once heard any complaints.

“Oh, see, Minhyuk said silence means yes.” Hyungwon pouts, his bed hair swaying as he shakes his head. You can see the sprouts growing from his head openly, but you have to look closely to actually see the flower buds peeking from the messy mop of hair. 

“What. I didn’t even say anything!” 

“But I already know anyway.” Hyungwon chuckles, sipping on his tea, “Besides, _I_ was the one getting tired of Minhyuk. Why do you think I’m holed up here with you right now?”

Hoseok frowns at him, holed up? Hyungwon could go out any time he wants, he doesn’t need Hoseok’s permission, and he never asked for it anyway. Hoseok didn’t tell him to stay with him today, and he’s certainly not keeping him at home. Hoseok opens his mouth to tell him to go out if he doesn’t want to be _holed up_ here, but he takes a good look at Hyungwon’s face and—

Oh, he’s lonely. 

Hoseok softens, the frown disappearing and he gets a funny look from Hyungwon, who smiles at Hoseok’s change of face. His attention goes back to the TV, but all that’s showing is a bunch of commercials.

Hoseok doesn’t remember the last time he was ever lonely. He stopped feeling like shit when he got Hyungwon, who made him feel lighter and better, then there was always Hyunwoo and Changkyun, and before Jinhee left, she was the one who kept him happy, not once making him feel alone. 

Hoseok glances at the TV, the show is back on, and out of this weird, hollow feeling in his chest, blurts out words he never thought he’d be saying anytime soon.

“You should go on a date with me.” 

Hyungwon nearly spits out his tea, looking at him wildly. “What?”

Hoseok smiles and pats Hyungwon’s leg, “Go on a date with me. People say you’ve never really lived life unless you go on a date.”

Hyungwon looks scandalized, looking like he can’t believe any of the words coming from Hoseok’s lips. But Hoseok isn’t kidding, no one has ever said that before, but it is part of Hoseok’s philosophy. And before he gets started on dating 101, he needs to hear Hyungwon’s reply first. 

Hyungwon gapes like a fish, mouth opening and closing. “I— You—“ 

There's a moment where he just looks at the carpeted floor with his wide eyes, mouth open in shock. He looks as if he stopped functioning altogether, Hoseok was about to shake him to wake him from his daze but the flower started to show signs of life. Slowly, Hyungwon turns red, starting from his ears to his cheeks and then, as he looks at Hoseok incredulously, the flower buds on his head bloom open simultaneously, some petals falling like confetti at how sudden it was. 

“Woah, Hyungwon.” Hoseok’s eyes twinkle, _that was amazing_. He has this urge to reach out and _touch_ , but Hyungwon beats him to it. 

“Ah, fuck.” Appearing more red than earlier, he ducks his face out of sight and starts to pluck the flowers from his hair.

“Hey, hey! What are you doing?” Hoseok asks, pulling the younger closer to grab both of Hyungwon’s wrists to keep him from hurting himself. Hyungwon’s eyes find his, and Hoseok watches as some flowers bloom some more, slowly expanding and they look absolutely stunning. 

Hyungwon is absolutely stunning. 

“I— I don’t know? They just suddenly went and.” The flower-boy stops suddenly, looking at the ruined flowers on his hands, some stray strands of hair plucked out along with them. “I don’t know.”

Hoseok slowly lets go of the thin wrists, “Don’t do that, they’re, uh, they’re really pretty.” Hoseok clears his throat, moving back to give them both some space.

“So, the date?”

“Wha— Like, right now?” Hyungwon asks.

“Yeah, like, right now.” Hoseok stands to get ready, leaving Hyungwon sitting at the couch, a little dumb-founded and a little at awe.

Hoseok trudges into his room, closing the door softly so he wouldn't startle Hyungwon any more than he did. When the door clicked shut, Hoseok pulled at his hair, throwing himself at the bed to direct a silent scream at his pillow. He thought about throwing himself out the window, only to remember his house only had one floor. Plus, he didn't want to go out like that, embarrassed about asking someone on a date.

_What the hell was he doing?_

He tossed and turned in his sheets, mind racing on why, _why_ did he say that?

The drama was just showing the main couple on a date and when Hoseok saw that, the idea just manifested in his mind for a split second before he ran his mouth. His stupid, impulsive mind that teamed up with his no-filter mouth.

There was no lie, Hoseok did go on dates whenever he felt under. Going out always made him feel better, whether it's with Jinhee or his own friends, and maybe, Hoseok thought Hyungown would feel the same?

Maybe. But why did he have to say it like that?

Hyungwon looked so startled just then, and Hoseok would be too if someone asked him out on a date out of the blue. 

Hoseok screamed into his pillow once more before sliding out of bed. _What's done is done._

Now all Hoseok has to do is make sure Hyungwon gets the best first date of his life. 

Putting on his determined face, he needs to make sure that Hyungwon's date looks good first, then worry about how he's going to make this perfect.  
  
  
  
  


•••••••

 

 

 

Hoseok remembers how he cleaned his car, made it spotless, to drive to Jinhee's apartment, bearing a large bouquet of flowers (which he bought from, guess who, Yoo Kihyun) to give to her when she opened the door, revealing Hoseok in his best outfit, smiling charmingly, to take her away.

Hyungwon, however, lives with him. Plus, he has a whole variety of small flowers growing on his head, so he doesn't think buying any would be necessary. All he has to do is get Hyungwon in his car.

"Are you sure about this, Hoseok? I don't mean to ruin your time at home." Hyungwon said, taking unsure steps towards his vehicle. 

"Yeah! It's no biggie. Besides, Hyunwoo cancelled gym on me to take Kihyun on a date." Hoseok shrugs, beaming at him. "Why can't I do the same?"

Hyungwon raises an eyebrow at him, clearly not buying it but he smiles all the same. "If you say so, but hey, can we take the bus instead?" 

Hoseok blinks at him, already mid-step into the car. "The bus?" He parrots, looking up at the sky. It's a beautiful day. "Sure, sure. It's a good day to be out anyway."

 _Well, that got shut down quickly._ Hoseok thinks as he shuts the door, joining Hyungwon who's waiting for him at the sidewalk. He planned on playing a soft playlist Changkyun made him a few months back, driving a bit slower than usual to enjoy the view.

 _I guess not._ They walk beside each other in silence, Hoseok sneaking gazes at Hyungwon when he isn't looking. The taller looks at ease, a soft smile pulling at the corner of his lips. The small flowers on his hair sway with the breeze, and the sight makes Hoseok calm down a little, worrying less about their day, and focus on the serene atmosphere around them as they walk to the bus station. 

"Where are we going anyway?" Hyungwon asks.

Hoseok's eyes sparkle, "To go eat Seoul's finest cakes."

They don't wait long at the bus station, the two of them sitting at the backmost part of the bus. There isn't much people inside, just enough to fill up the seats. It's been a while since Hoseok had ridden the bus, mostly travelling by car, and he forgot how nice it feels when no one is rushing. 

"What do people usually do on dates?" Naturally curious, Hyungwon asks again. 

Hoseok hums, not really knowing the right answer to that. Dates are hard. "Well, you eat out, or watch a movie, or do whatever you like basically."

"You don't have to worry about it, I'll take care of everything." He smiles, patting the younger's thigh. 

Hyungwon gives him a disbelieving once-over, letting out a breathy laugh when Hoseok still looks confident. "This better be good, then." 

"How about you, why take the bus?" Hoseok throws back.

"Forgive me for mentioning him, but Minhyuk made me take the bus to get to Kihyun's, and it's...nice." Hyungwon looks out the window, watching the trees and buildings go by. 

Hoseok looks at him, expecting more than just nice scenery, because... it's Hyungwon. The said male ignores him for a moment before he looks back at him exasperatedly. " _Fine_. I went people-watching. _I know,_ I'm a creep."

He drops his head on the window with a thud, eyes closed like he wants to cry. The way he acted made him look like his life was ending, and the nosy people around kept glancing back at him. Hoseok laughed and peeled the younger off the window by his shoulders, rubbing them comfortingly. 

"People do that all the time, and they're no plant-hybrid. It's not that creepy!" 

Miserably, Hyungwon topples in Hoseok's grip. "The secret's out, humans are so weird. I really can't understand any of you." 

Now, the same nosy people are looking at them weirdly, and Hoseok laughs again, a little louder, to diffuse the tension building. Thankfully, the bus' intercom buzzes and Hoseok hurriedly pushes the younger up and out of the bus. 

Hoseok glares at the younger when the bus is out of sight, speeding towards another part of the city. "You really need to know when to shut that big mouth of yours."

Hyungwon stretches his limbs, like a cat does in sunlight. Man, Hoseok keeps comparing Hyungwon to a cat, and _he's_ not the cat-hybrid. He peeks one eye open, "Should I? Like I said, humans are weird and I don't really understand them."

Hoseok scoffs, playfully shoving at Hyungwon's shoulder, "The cafe is right there, and no more offensive human talk when there are humans around, alright?"

"M'kay." Hyungwon says, following Hoseok to the famous cafe, "At least, I have a Hoseok, right? My Hoseok is weird but at least I understand him." 

He says it with such childlike confidence and a playful grin tugging at his lips that it makes Hoseok's heart jump. Just a little.

"Oh, Hyungwon, I know we're on a date, but you're really making my heart flutter." He clutches a hand on his chest dramatically, before opening the tall glass door for Hyungwon. 

The cafe is still nice and cozy from when Hoseok last came here, the walls dripping of maroon colors that contrast well with all the hanging plants and the ambient orange lights. The glass counter display has all the cakes they have and Hyungwon dashes to them the first chance he got, examining them with sparkling eyes. 

"Damn, do these look good."

"Damn right. Now, pick whatever you want, I'm buying." 

Hoseok chooses a strawberry shortcake, a cake he always ends up getting whenever he's here, and he was half-expecting Hyungwon to get the same, him being a plant and all, so he assumed he'd love fruits. But Hyungwon chooses the chocolatiest cake there, a whooping three layer decadent that will surely give him diabetes. 

They choose a table near the windows, he remembered how romantic it felt when he and Jinhee went here for a date, observing and making light fun of the people walking outside. The date had went perfectly. And Hoseok is determined to make this one flawless as well. 

Hyungwon does, in fact, enjoy the window seats. However, it isn't because of the casual remarks towards the strangers passing by (which they still did, by the way), Hyungwon just enjoys being in the sun, is all. Hoseok can see it in the way Hyungwon's lips curl freely, posture slackened, looking like the very essence of _ease_. The tiny flowers on his head may be dancing, but that might be just Hoseok's imagination. 

Also, he's not sassing him every chance he can. 

_He's in a good mood_ , Hoseok deduces, an overly-warm smile blooming on his face. _this is my chance_.

"Hey, aren't I older than you?"

Hyungwon takes a large bite of cake with that large mouth of his, raising an eyebrow at him as he chews. "Yeah, I think so. Why?"

Hoseok smiles wider, "You should call me hyung. There's a thing called 'honorifics' here." He air-quotes.

Hyungwon has confusion written all over his face, but it's obvious he's playing dumb since he called Hyunwoo 'hyung' a while back. Hoseok doesn't really mind that the younger calls him by his name so casually, but just once. He'd like to hear it once. 

Abruptly, he drops his act when he sees that Hoseok isn't fooled, "No, I can't do that, sorry." His tone drops, somewhere close to formal, and he folds his hands at his lap like a scolded child.

Hoseok leans closer to slap the younger's arm, laughter mixing along with his whining. "Why not?!"

Hyungwon's lips purse slightly, and for a moment, it looks like he's not gonna answer. Stubborn has always been a quality of his, whether it's getting up in the morning, or fighting over the remote, or if they're making tea again (they always do). His stubbornness shines even now. But this time, his upper lip quivers and he bursts in loud laughter, covering his face with his hands as he shakes and tries to calm down. 

"I can't-- can't do that now, it's too _embarrassing_!" He chokes out between his laughter, and if he's red due to his embarrassment or his lack of breath, Hoseok will never know.

"Come on, just once. Please?" Hoseok puts his palms together in front of him, looking up at Hyungwon with puppy-eyes and a pout Hyunwoo could never resist. "For Hyung?"

"Oh god. Please, never do that again." He suddenly deadpans, disapproving eyebrows knit together. But only for a slip-second because his mask falls through, his smile coming back instantly, making his cheeks look full and healthy. 

Hoseok doesn’t stop, instead he sighs pitifully, slowly starting to rub his palms together. Hyungwon screeches.

“Stop, stop that! I’ll do it, but just once, alright? And swear to me you’ll never do that again!” Hyungwon slaps his hands away, pointing at his face non-threateningly. 

Hoseok crosses on his heart and raises two fingers, like he did back then as a boy scout. Hyungwon eyes him critically before deflating. 

_’You’re killing me here,_ ’ Hoseok hears Hyungwon whisper as cups his cheeks in his palms, eyes closed like he’s mentally preparing himself. 

Finally prepared, Hyungwon takes his fork in his hand, and Hoseok worries for a minute that he might be stabbed by the seemingly harmless flower across him. He decides to be on alert anyway. Hyungwon takes the fork in his hand, and puts it in his mouth, licking the residue chocolate from it. Hoseok follows the movement closely, eyes traveling across his plump lips as he slides the fork from his mouth. 

Hoseok gulps, _Oh, oh my._

Hyungwon’s bottom lip juts out exagerratedly, forming a cute pout as he leans closer, fork pointing at his half-eaten strawberry cake. He looks up at him from under his lashes, and damn it, his own technique is being used against him. 

And it’s working damn well.

“Can— can I have some of your cake, hyung?” Hyungwon barely swallows back his giggles, nearly slipping up but Hoseok doesn’t really pay attention to that. 

He’s not paying any attention to that _at all._

No, his attention is fully diverted to how his heart seemed to stop at once then start to thump so heavily against his chest, he’s almost afraid that Hyungwon can see it pound through his clothes. He’s fully invested at how he’s started to become hyper-aware of their feet tangled together under the table, of their gazes meeting each other halfway. How a warm feeling washed over him when all the flower boy did was call him ‘hyung’ and how unbelievably cute Hyungwon is acting right now. 

Every single thing adds up so neatly, and Hoseok can only stare, thinking, _”Just when did you start thinking like this?”_

Hoseok’s cheeks are starting to color so shakes his head slightly, snapping out of it. Praying to the gods, he hopes he didn’t stare long enough to be obvious. He puts his realization at the back of his mind for now, cackling instead and mockingly cooing at him, pushing the plate towards him. 

“Oh, have the whole cake already, you greedy bastard.”

Hyungwon drops the pout and snatches the plate from him, “Don’t mind if I do, _Hoseok._ ” 

Hoseok silently mourns his strawberry cake. He still wanted to eat that, but honestly, he couldn’t not give it to the younger after what he did. He was irrefusable. 

He watches as Hyungwon shoves nearly half the cake in his mouth, a satisfied hum coming out as he chews deliberately, savouring the taste. Hoseok decides that he, too, is satisfied with how this ended. 

“Didn’t expect you to pull out aegyo like that.” Hoseok snorts. Hyungwon reddens. 

“Fuck off. I just did what the drama’s do!” 

“Sure you did.” Hoseok teases, and they drop the topic there, moving unto another subject. 

The whole time though, all Hoseok could think about was how he was the one supposed to make Hyungwon blush and squirm, but in the end, it was Hoseok who did all those. 

And he may have also realized that he may have a teeny little crush on the younger. 

Just a little.  
  
  
  
  


•••••••

 

 

 

After the cafe, Hoseok suggested they go watch a movie, romance or horror is always the way to go on dates.

Hoseok recalls when he and Jinhee went on a movie date, and they ended up watching newly released horror movie. Typically, you watch the movie so your date would cling and hide in your arms as the other laughs it off and protects you. In their case, they both screamed so loud that other patrons would shush them out. It made for some good memories to look back on, but Hoseok doesn't really want Hyungwon to see his cowardly side just yet. 

Hyungwon agrees readily, and suggests they watch a romance movie so that it fits their theme for today, and Hoseok couldn't agree more. Hoseok was hellbent on seeing a romance movie, avoiding the genre of horror altogether. The two start walking towards the cinema, the streets full of people walking, but not unpleasantly so. The sun is shining on them, and Hoseok realizes that it's been a while since he's walked the streets of his own city, mostly spending his time at home, at the office or at the gym. 

The sun on his skin is nice, and he starts to understand why Hyungwon likes to bask in it when he can. He sneaks a glance at the younger, eyes trailing on his golden skin, which is a nice contrast to the multi-colored flowers growing on his head. His face is turned upwards, looking up at the clear skies and looking deep in thought.

Hoseok takes this chance to admire him, his side profile, the way his hair falls before his eyes, rustling whenever the wind blows. The mix of greens, yellows, violets and blues on his head make people turn their heads, the man with the flowers on his head a sight you don't see everyday. They look at him with marveled eyes, following his figure until he disappears from their view. 

Hoseok can't blame them. He, too, looks at Hyungwon with wondrous eyes. 

"Hey," The flower-boy starts, turning to look at him. "Let's cancel on that movie."

"What? Why?" Hoseok asks.

Hyungwon gestures around him, "It's such a great day! What a waste it would be to stay in a large, dark, cooped up box with several other people with you." 

Hoseok squints at Hyungwon's description of a movie theater, but agrees that today is a good day to be out. "Where do we go though?"

Hyungwon's eyes sparkle, "The Han River."

Later, Hoseok teases Hyungwon of doing his research on dates. Han River usually being a date spot for couples, and the fact that Hyungwon knows of this makes Hoseok's stomach tingle a bit.

Hyungwon grumbles something about seeing it in the dramas, and how it looked nice in the TV, so it must be equally as beautiful in real life, right?

They take another bus to get there, and it's more relaxed than earlier. Their nervous energy from this morning mostly dissipated from their coffee date. They don't bother talking, satisfied with the comfy silence that's upon them. They're sitting closer to each other, shoulders brushing everytime the bus stops and moves. Half-way into their trip, Hyungwon leans against Hoseok as he looks outside the window, a pleasant weight that grounds him as he hums songs under his breath for Hyungwon to hear. 

Han River is packed with couples and families, out on picnics and spending time with their loved ones. Beside him, Hyungwon looks enamoured at the sight of them, the sight of them happy, and a smile of his own breaks out.

Hoseok has been here plenty of times before, with Jinhee, or just himself as he jogs in the early mornings. He could probably walk around with his eyes closed and he'd still get to where he wants to be. That was how much he knew this place. Hyungwon has only seen the river, and the sidelanes where people ride their bikes and watch the fireworks at night. But Hoseok knows of a more secret place where there are less people, with the best view the park has to offer. 

Hesitating only a little, he takes Hyungwon's hand in his, tugging to get his attention. "I know a good place here, I'll take you there."

Hyungwon lets himself be pulled elsewhere, legs moving on autopilot as he gazes at their hands, giddily smiling to himself behind Hoseok's back. Slowly, Hyungwon tightens his grip around Hoseok's and fastens his pace so that they could walk side by side.

They pass many people as Hoseok takes them to wherever he's taking them, earning a few curious, interested looks. Both at his flower head and at their linked hands. Hoseok hopes that Hyungwon doesn't mind it, hopes that he doesn't pull his hand away so suddenly. But when he sneaks a look, Hyungwon is standing so confidently, smiling and swinging their connected hands without a care in the world. 

In truth, Hyungwon feels a bit lighthearted from all the attention they're getting. It just feels so nice to have people look and look at _him_ and _Hoseok_ out on a date. The sudden warmth on his hand had caught him off guard earlier, but now it just intensifies the butterflies in his stomach, and makes him feel all warm over.

Hoseok sends him a funny look when he sees Hyungwon preening under the attention, laughing when Hyungwon notices and whines, pulling his hand away and shoving him off.

Hoseok comes back to his side though, still slightly laughing before taking his hand again, though this time, he clasps it tightly, without hesitation.

The people slowly decrease as they walk along, passing many parks and restaurants until they reach the park that Hoseok frequents, a high place with trees and plants everywhere, street vendors lining the sides as the few people there line up for cotton candy and other things. 

People hardly come into this park, mostly wanting to spend time in front of the gorgeous Han River, to feel the fresh spring breeze, and appreciate the flowing, sparkling river that reminds everyone of their romance. 

But Hoseok has always loved this park. From its calm atmosphere, to its lesser known reputation. He almost never brings anyone here, only people he's incredibly close with, or partners that he's been on more than five dates on. 

The moment he sees Hyungwon gaping at the people, at the nature, and the _wonder_ in his eyes were so enchanting, that Hoseok couldn't even think of a better day to take Hyungwon to the park. 

"This place will suit you, I think." Hoseok comments as he sets sight on his spot, empty. He internally pumps his fist up. 

They have to hike up a few stairs to get to the spot that Hoseok frequents, the large tree marking its spot. The breeze there always makes Hoseok calm even after running all those miles, the shade keeping him cool even in the hottest of weathers. This place has made a home for him, and it never fails to surprise him how comfortable he feels here. At ease. 

They finally reach the top after so many stairs, the tree standing proudly, as it always did. They peer out into the distance when they catch their breaths, seeing the entirety of the city, and beside him, he hears Hyungwon exhale slowly.

"Do you like it?" Hoseok asks, eyes fleeting between Hyungwon and the city. He's feeling nervous, and he always does when he brings anyone here. Not everyone actually appreciates the view and prefers to be where the couples mainly are, but it hurts when they don't actually like it because he loves this place so much, and to share this place with someone he likes is a big deal for him. 

Hyungwon tears his gaze from the city view to Hoseok. His wide eyes are filled with mirth, and his cheeks are full from how bright he's smiling. He walks around, settling on the tall tree in the center, stroking the rough wood. The tree's branches wave as if in response.

"It's beautiful." 

Hoseok soon joins him under the shade, plopping themsleves down on the grass, shoulders brushing as they rest against the tree. They talk endlessly as the winds blow, softly and comfortingly, as if mother nature is caressing them herself. 

Flowers bloom around them, and Hoseok doesn't notice until the sun is setting on the horizon, time passing by so quickly. 

Hoseok looks around them, amazed, but he already knows it's Hyungwon's doing. There are vines creeping up on his arms, connecting into the ground, blooming flowers of varying colors, all their own character in their own way. Hyungwon is amazing, to be able to grow something so beautiful, to be able to leave his mark in this place without ruining anything, but only adding something to its allure.

Hyungwon smiles fondly at him as he looks at them excitedly, catching his gaze abruptly and holding it. His smile slowly falls, replaced with a worried tone, "Is something wrong?"

Hoseok shakes his head, still staring. As if in a trance, he points to Hyungwon's head, "Your flowers, can I touch them?"

Surprised, Hyungwon's hand flies to his head, finding more flowers to be there than earlier. He laughs it off, giggling at his inattentiveness and nodding, ducking slightly to give Hoseok some leverage. 

_They're soft,_ Hoseok thinks, as he takes a closer look at the tiny flowers adorning Hyungwon's head. There's so many others around him, but the ones he wanted to feel and see were his, and his only. He sees Hyungwon close his eyes as he strokes the petals, and Hoseok takes the time to fully appreciate Hyungwon's looks without the fear of anyone or Hyungwon himself seeing. 

Much like the flowers, Hyungwon looks soft. His cheeks are full and his lips are plump, the delicate way he closes his eyes and the way he bows slightly to give Hoseok access is _soft_. He makes Hoseok feel things that he hasn't felt for a while now. 

It's scary. How quick it is for Hoseok to feel butterflies as they lean close together. How afraid Hoseok is from feeling the hard thumps of his heart against his chest every time Hyungwon just simply looks at him. It's scary how comfortable he feels around him, how fast it is for him to become attached. How, in an instant, he can start feeling _feelings_ for anyone. 

_Just how shallow are you?_

_How can you replace her so quickly?_

_It's just a crush, Hoseok. It's not a big deal._

_Not a big deal... But he's not just anyone, is he?_

Thoughts throw themselves back and forth in his mind, but he chooses to ignore them again this time, instead, his hand travels from the small flowers to his smooth hair, tucking a stray strand of hair beneath his ear. 

His thoughts are silenced when Hyungwon opens his eyes to look up at him, eyes gazing up at him, searching, but for what? The younger's eyes slowly travel downwards, taking his time in studying the planes of his face, despite the older's awareness. Eventually, his gaze stops on the bow of his lips.

It burns, his stare. It sets a chain reaction in his body, a sort-of tingling that makes him feel like he's floating. The shivers start at his shoulders, going downwards, setting the butterflies free in his stomach, before finally setting on his toes. The distance between them slowly disappears, Hyungwon still intently staring, and despite Hoseok's previous thoughts, his body pulls closer like a magnet.

Hoseok gulps once, feeling the flower's presence ever closer, his hot breath barely fanning him. He swallows down his heart threatening to burst out from his mouth and hardens his resolve.

"D-did you have fun today?" Hoseok stutters out, resolve weakening as Hyungwon's eyes jump up to meet his, the emotion in his eyes flickering. "I mean— are you okay? Ah, no, is— is this okay?"

Hyungwon looks shocked at his words, or rather, at the timing of it. He looks around wildly, not because he can't stand to look at Hoseok, but because he's at a loss of words.

He settles his hand on Hoseok's gently, the weight of it on his lap comforting. He breathes out with his nose softly, then moves back, creating a distance that Hoseok misses already. The older fears that Hyungwon might react negatively, and he barely stops himself from speaking out, but Hyungwon smiles at him so reassuringly, that all he can do is fall back and admire.

"This is _fine_. Today has been great, but maybe we should get home?" He gestures to the darkness slowly taking over the sky. 

It is getting late, which is why Hoseok helps Hyungwon get up and they stand in comfortable silence as they pat the dirt off their shoulders. As much as Hoseok wants to stay and watch the stars here, but unfortunately, they have things to do tomorrow. 

Hoseok smiles to himself, keeping the idea in mind for the two of them to do sometime in the future.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


•••••••

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hoseok throws himself on his bed, limbs pleasantly stretched out. His hair is still a little wet from the shower he just took, and he already brushed his teeth while Hyungwon was taking his bath. Ready for bed, he turns to place his phone on his nightstand when it vibrates rather violently in his hand.

He's pretty sure it's Changkyun, since Hyunwoo never really texts, so he just opens it carelessly, eyes widening when he sees what it is.

Or rather, who it's from. 

 

_**11:56 PM**_  
**_From: Jinhee_**  
_hey hoseok_  
_it's been a while hasn't it?_  
_how are you?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> henlooooo!!! i'm so sorry that this took so long, school just started again and it's been hectic :(( i'll just say in advance that updates might come slower but i will still definitely update! I'M NOT GIVING UP ON THIS FAM!! <3 
> 
> to those who read and comment, thank you so much! they mean so much to me oohuh /ugly sobs/ lol byeee see u in the next chap!!
> 
>  
> 
> btw, kudos and comments give me life, y'all


	9. nine

The glass doors of the flower shop opens suddenly, the chimes ringing violently, and it's a miracle that they didn't shatter with how hard it hit the wall. 

Kihyun, crouched into some bushes, startles into a standing position, pointing his short plant clippers at the intruder. Wide, shaken eyes find the figure, fully expecting some robber or something, but it's just the familiar shape of Hyungwon. 

With a full bouquet on his head.

"Jesus, Hyungwon. What the hell is your problem?" Kihyun exclaims, lowering his scissors to exhale sharply, clutching at his chest. Hyungwon doesn't seem to mind that he spooked the smaller, smiling to himself in a daze.

"The problem may be that I am in _love_ , dear Kihyun." He sighs out happily, leaning heavily against the closed door. Behind his ear, another flower blooms gently. 

Another loud 'bang!' is heard, this time coming from out back, and a screaming Minhyuk comes out running, holding a gigantic pair of gardening shears. He points it threatheningly at Hyungwon, who snaps out of his love-struck reverie and cowers.

"Fuck outta here— Oh, Hyungwon, what brings you here?" Minhyuk lets out in the same breath.

The flower looks scandalized, "I work here! What are _you_ doing here?"

Minhyuk blinks, "I work here."

"He's joking." Kihyun butts in, taking the shears from Minhyuk's hand. Minhyuk pouts at being exposed so quickly, but he listens to what Kihyun has to say. "We have way bigger matters to attend to, like Hyungwon being _in love_?"

Minhyuk whips his head so fast and gapes at Hyungwon, an open mouthed smile quickly forming on his face. In front of them, Hyungwon brings a hand to his heart, the tension in his shoulders dissipate and he sighs happily. 

"Oh right, thanks for reminding me. This is great."

Minhyuk squeals, taking Hyungwon's wrist to drag him to the couch, where Kihyun and Minhyuk sit themselves on either side of the flower. "Spill, bitch."

Hyungwon doesn't waste any time, "We went on a date."

Behind his back, Kihyun and Minhyuk exchange looks, Minhyuk looks impressed while Kihyun looks a little suspicious.

"We ate cake, had coffee and tea, then we were gonna go to the cinema, but then we decided to go to Han River instead." He lets out another happy sigh, eyes glazed over as if he's recalling the events from yesterday. "It was great. I had so much fun."

Minhyuk slaps Hyungwon's thigh, who doesn't react at all. "You go get your man!"

"I don't know about this, didn't he just come out of a realationship of a year?" Kihyun says, patting Hyungwon's other thigh.

"It's been a year already, Ki. Surely, he's over her by now."

"Surely? A relationship like that isn't easy to get over, you know."

"Alright," Hyungwon deadpans, the tenderness in his voice gone. He slides both their hands off his thighs and he stands swiftly, turning to face them with his hands on his hips. 

It was a little funny, hearing the two bicker like there was an angel on his left shoulder, and a demon on his other shoulder. He didn't really consider Minhyuk an angel by any means, but the demon title fit Kihyun so well, he couldn't help but snicker internally. But this sounds like it would escalate in a fight, and he doesn't really want that right now. Maybe some other time.

"I'm not saying that he loves me back or anything. So you can stop doubting him and his feelings." He says to Kihyun, who nods understandingly. Hyungwon then turns to Minhyuk, "But we're not together, and we won't be, since I'm pretty sure he's not over their relationship just yet. Hoseok is a pretty emotional person." 

Hyungwon shrugs and smiles, fondly exasperated at his two friends, "I just love him, isn't that okay?"

Kihyun hums, "That's more than okay, but be careful, alright?"

Hyungwon thinks about his feelings, how much they're affecting him inside, and he thinks of Hoseok. Hoseok, who makes him laugh everyday, who gave up coffee and started making tea for him, who wakes him up without fail even though it's a pain in the ass. 

Even without much thought, Hyungwon thinks Hoseok is someone worth loving, even if he's not completely over his past relationship. Hyungwon can wait, even if it takes years. After all, Hoseok was the first person to choose _him_ , even if he wasn't fully aware of it. Even if he bottles up his feelings so that he could hide it a bit longer, he has these two to gush about him. 

For now, he's content where he is. 

The flower nods readily, confidently.

Kihyun looks satisfied, and he motions him to come closer with his short plant clippers. "Good, now come here, my customers are coming, and I can't have an employee walking around like he has flowers for hair." 

"I mean, it's pretty, but your head looks like a mess."

 

_(Later, Kihyun sits on a high stool as he grooms the flowers on his head, and he finally looks like he has hair again, instead of having flowers for hair. He gives the clipped flowers to Minhyuk, who busies himself by making flower crowns. The said male has been squirming since Hyungwon confessed earlier, and Hyungwon is getting tired just from watching the other move so much._

_He groans suddenly, startling both Kihyun and Minhyuk. "Out with it, Minhyuk. You've been fidgeting since I said shit."_

_"Is it that obvious?" Minhyuk laughs sheepishly, "Just curious, if there was a chance you two could be together, would you do it?"_

_Hyungwon doesn't even think twice, "Of course I would— Ack!" His hand flies to his scalp, massaging the spot where Kihyun pulled a flower, giving it to Minhyuk._

_"Of course I would, if he's genuinely ready." Hyungwon clarifies and glares at Kihyun, "Goddamn, let me finish first!")_  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


•••••••

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Hoseok enters the office with a wide smile on his face, finally early to work for the first time in a while. He just came from the flower shop, accompanying Hyungwon to work just like he said he would. On the way there, they decided to turn the radio on for once, and Hoseok was pleasantly surprised to hear that Hyungwon is a good singer. That was until Hyungwon started to belt out some of the most ridiulous high notes of his, resulting in Hoseok laughing too much and almost crashing their car on the street.

Hoseok feels so happy, it's like he's on cloud nine. Nothing can possibly sour his mood.

"Woah, someone's happy." Changkyun whistles, wheeling his chair around. His nose twitches as Hoseok approaches, and he smirks at him, his slitted kitty pupils dilating. "Is this about Hyungwon hyung?" 

Hoseok is taken aback, no one knows about their impromptu date yet. “What makes you think that?”

“You smell like him.” 

“You guys _always_ say I smell like flowers. Of course I would, I live with the guy!”

Changkyun raises his hands up, tail a little fluffed at his answer. “I don’t know, man. You strongly smelling of flowers and you’re, like, literally glowing? I can add one plus one together and the answer is Hyungwon.”

Hoseok takes a moment to think about it. Hyungwon has made him pretty happy, he was easy to wake today, and let him have a good laugh as they drove to work. Yesterday... The date yesterday had made him inexplicably happy, and until now, he keeps on replaying the moments that struck him the most. Even just thinking about it now, he feels giddy and light, and another one of his smiles wants to break out. His small crush on the younger is one thing...

But Hoseok thinks this is more about his ex-girlfriend texting him last night. He just replied this morning, not wanting to seem desperate. He gave himself some time to think and to let the text sink in. Only to reply first thing in the morning. 

Hoseok smiles wider, "Maybe." Hyungwon was indeed part of the reason on why he's feeling so happy today, but he's not exactly the _actual_ reason.

"What does that even mean?" Changkyun asks, puzzled.

Hoseok plops himself on the chair, squeaking at his weight, "He's part of the reason."

Hoseok thinks about telling them, but he himself doesn't actaully know where this is going to lead. Does Jinhee want him back? Or does Jinhee feel bad because of their break-up? Maybe she just wants to be friends again? 

Any of those are possible, yet Hoseok is just happy that they're on speaking terms again. He missed her texts, even if they're not as frequent, it felt like reconnecting with an old friend. Their break up surely put a strain on their relationship, but he still feels the ease with her, still feels their connection. 

It's easy to say that he isn't completely over her. She _was_ Hoseok's longest relationship after all, so it's not suprising that he still feels the way he does. And though he doesn't feel as devastated as he did then, he's sure that he still feels something for her. I mean, that's surely the reason why he keeps thinking of her now, right? 

He can't tell them yet, especially since they were the ones who saw him break down and cry, broken for a few days after their parting. They would probably be against them talking, and Hoseok knows he shouldn't hope for anything else other than friendship, but it's hard. Hyunwoo and Changkyun will probably tell him that Jinhee isn't looking for a relationship with him, and he'll probably just get hurt. 

Hoseok knows he shouldn't, but he is. 

_If anyone is going to get hurt here, it's me. Not them._ Hoseok thinks as he boots up his computer, readying himself for another drawling day on the office. 

His phone pings with a message, and the smile on his lips return when he sees who it's from. 

Things are a little complicated right now, so he settles for replying to Jinhee for now, putting his thoughts and feelings in the back of his head for him to straighten out later.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


•••••••

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A week has passed since their date, and the memory is still fresh in Hyungwon’s mind, like it happened yesterday. It would be a lie if he said that he didn’t use them whenever he felt down and tired, because he did. Hoseok’s hands gently caressing the petals on his hair, the way he shyly tucked strands of hair beneath his ear were what gets Hyungwon going.

Small, intimate moments that Hyungwon remembered vividly, lifted him up in moments he didn’t want to move and just stop working (which is, like, all the time, so maybe he thinks about Hoseok _all the time_ as well). They usually work, too. The jumps his heart does gives him bursts of energy to finish and see Hoseok after a long day at work.

Today is not that kind of day. 

Hyungwon sighs out heavily as he gently settles down the large earthen pot into the greenhouse, looking for a clean surface to sit down on. It’s weird, his weight feels too heavy for his body, as if he can’t support himself right now. His limbs are aching and it’s a struggle to just find somewhere to rest. 

It’s cold and he’s shivering. He knows that it’s the cold season already, and if the three layers of clothes he’s wearing today isn’t enough to stop the cold, then there must be a shitty blizzard outside. But as it is, there is no blizzard, and the greenhouse has a heating system. So why is it that he’s a shaking mess right now?

His legs give out suddenly, and he cries out as he tumbles backwards, falling on his ass and thankfully, sparing the earthen pot from its doom. Leaning on the wall, he curls up, making himself smaller. His teeth chatter, and he’s desperate for some warmth, maybe resting for a moment will get him back to normal? 

As soon as he closes his eyes, he hears the door swing open, and Kihyun’s voice floats into the air, “Hyungwon? What happened?”

The steps don’t approach, and the flower tries to answer, but nothing comes out, instead, he keeps shivering, turning more violent by the moment. He lets out a huff when his voice gives up on him, and hopes that Kihyun will just come and find him. 

“Hyungwon?” The nymph’s voice becomes clearer, “Hyungwon!”

Footsteps come quicker and then there’s hands grasping his arms, tipping his chin up and a cool hand placed on his forehead. Hyungwon chases it despite his trembling. “Dude, you’re burning up!”

Hyungwon slumps himself against the other, basking in the warmth the nymph emits. Surprisingly, there are small hands encircling his body, keeping him close and rubbing at his arms. “You’re sick as hell, frog. Why’d you let yourself get so sick?” 

A shrug, since that’s all he can do for now. 

“Come on, I can’t have you working in this condition.”

He’s sick. That makes sense. The cold, his shivering, the sudden heaviness and all. Hyungwon has this distinct feeling that all the minutes he spent under the rain has something to do with this. But the rain felt so good against his skin, it’s like a shower, but better, so you can’t blame him for wanting to stand in the pouring rain for a while. He loved the sensation, however, it seems that his very human body could not handle it. 

He feels light as Kihyun uses his magic to carry him to his car, quickly switching the open sign to closed before he runs over to his car to take Hyungwon home. 

Kihyun seems tense as he drives quickly, the heater turned on so you can see the slight sheen of sweat on Kihyun’s face. He keeps shifting his eyes towards him every so often, worry evident in his eyes. During a red light, he grasps one of his hands, warming it up between his small hands. Hyungwon tries to smile, he appreciates it. 

He snuggles further into the layers of clothing he’s currently wearing, as well as the additional blanket that Kihyun had lying around in the shop. It smells like the earth and the scent of lavenders mixed together, and the aroma is _comforting_. He buries his nose into the soft fabric in hopes of soothing the migraine that’s pounding his head, but it doesn’t do much either.

And maybe Hyungwon passes out for a moment too, because the next time he opens his eyes, he’s being carried into Hoseok’s home, the familiar surroundings making him relax. Kihyun guides him as he carefully floats through the rooms and over the couch. 

Hyungwon lets out a groan of protest, reaching out to the couch in the air, but Kihyun is having none of it. 

“No. You’re sleeping on the bed today, you’re too sick for the couch.” He huffs, gently letting Hyungwon down on Hoseok’s unmade bed. 

Kihyun clicks his tongue at Hoseok’s messy bed, but despite Hyungwon’s earlier protests, he melts into sheets, warm and soft and smelling of Hoseok. 

Not to be a creep or anything, but Hyungwon has always loved how Hoseok smells. The way he always seems to smell like rosewood and his favorite detergent bar. It’s a calming mix or earthy and clean and Hyungwon has been addicted to it ever since. He even started to wear Hoseok’s clothes just to keep the scent around. 

Not that it’s weird or anything, Hoseok always smells him, and if he’s trying to be discreet about it, he’s not really doing a good job. So it’s only fair that Hyungwon does the same. 

Kihyun fluffs the pillows beneath his head, and struggles to get his extra layers and shoes off before he smothers Hyungwon in the blanket he brought then in Hoseok’s comforter. 

“I’m gonna see if he has any medicine, you just rest here.” Kihyun says as he tucks him in, leaving him in search for medicine.

It’s warm, but he’s still shivering although it wasn’t as bad as earlier. The headache that was pounding in his head has only gotten worse, and all he wants to do now is pass out and wake up when he’s all better. He shifts in bed, feeling uncomfortable and heavy in his own body, he whines about it too, just so Kihyun would come back faster. Oh god, Hyungwon is starting to hate living.

Kihyun arrives with some warm tea and some pills that Hyungwon doesn’t recognize. 

“I’m here, I’m here. God, you’re a brat.” The smaller says he helps Hyungwon sit up. The flower lets out a small laugh and holds his hand out for the medicine.

He swallows down the pill quickly, making a face at how bitter it was and drinks the tea gratefully. Thank god Kihyun didn't make it too hot or else he'd have a fever as well as a burnt throat. 

Shortly after, Hyungwon plops himself back into the bed, pulling the comforter up to his face so that only his nose and and eyes are visible. Kihyun pulls out a fever patch from a packet and puts it on his forehead. It feels so cool and nice. But Kihyun can't keep babying him like this, he has a business to run. 

Hyungwon's muffled voice grumbles from underneath the sheets, "Go back to work, Ki."

His head whips to him so quickly, "Are you crazy? I can't leave you in this state."

"I'll be fine."

Kihyun gives him another once-over and looks ready to stay, but Hyungwon knows that the shop has orders due today so he persuades the smaller. Besides, it's just a fever. 

"I'll sleep it off and let it run its course." Hyungwon furrows his brows together, making his voice clearer to show him that he's going to be okay. Kihyun keeps looking at him blankly. 

Hyungwon sighs out, dropping the tough man act. "I'll call you if I need anything." 

Kihyun nods. "Call me _immediately_ if you need anything. Take the medicine again after eight hours, and keep the patch on. I'll text Hoseok for you." 

Hyungwon whines as a protest but Kihyun's texting him anyway. When he puts down his phone, he looks at Hyungwon in the eye and threatens him. "Don't even think about moving to the couch. Get out of this bed and you're fired. Call me." 

Kihyun pets his hair a few times before leaving, and Hyungwon listens to the engine rumble and start to fade away. He was fully intending to move to the couch when Kihyun left, but without the nymph's soothing presence, he feels a lot heavier and so much more tired. Hyungwon doesn't even think he can stand and walk if he wanted to.

And the bed is so soft and inviting, topped along with Hoseok's scent and his warm blanket. It's like the bed is begging him to stay and sleep here. So that's exactly what Hyungwon does, a few minutes after the older left, he feels his eyelids drop and his body relax further. He promises to move to the couch before Hoseok comes home, but the thought falls to deaf ears, as he is alone and has succumbed to the deep sleep that his body desperately needs.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


•••••••

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Hoseok had drove home as fast as possible after work. He recieved Kihyun's test right after lunch and has been worrying over the flower ever since.

He closes the door gently so he doesn't disturb Hyungwon's slumber, waking him now is possibly the shittiest thing Hoseok can do, especially since he's sick. 

Hoseok feels so panicked, for some reason. The moment he received news about Hyungwon being sick, there’s been this heavy weight settled in his stomach, and no matter how many times he reassured himself that it was just a fever, it wouldn’t go away. He was _this_ close to filing for a half-day and speeding towards home. 

Maybe it was because he was another species, so would a fever be any different to them? 

Anyways, now that he’s home, he quickly toes off his shoes and takes his jacket off as he walks towards the bedroom, where he assumes Kihyun would have dropped him. 

Maybe he should start thinking about buying another bed for Hyungwon. The couch can’t be _that_ comfortable anyway—

 _Ah, but, I asked him to move out._ Hoseok thinks, eyebrows furrowing. Is it too late to take his words back? 

It’s dark inside the room as he steps into it, and he spies the flower sleeping in his bed. A curled-up lump under the comforters with his hair peeking out. The air in the room is stuffy since no one bothered opening the windows. Hoseok fixes that for him. 

The curtains are moved aside, and the room brightens slightly, dimly lit by the moonlight outside. The windows creak badly when he opens it, and Hoseok cringes, looking back to the sleeping lump, but he didn’t even move an inch so he resumes doing so. At least the atmosphere’s a bit more clearer now. 

_Much better_.

Hoseok stalks over to the bed and sets himself on it, the bed dipping at his weight. He stares hard at the figure, moving at every breath Hyungwon takes and Hoseok lets out a silent sigh of relief. He’s not dead, thank god. It seems like this sickness is like any other human fever.

Hoseok wouldn’t actually know what to do if it wasn’t a fever. He was dead-set on taking Hyungwon to the hospital too, but Kihyun had warned him not to do anything rash, so now he’s stuck here, worried sick and feeling just a bit useless. 

_Just a bit?_ Hoseok scoffs at himself, he felt awfully useless. He didn’t even notice Hyungwon coming down with the sickness, associating his grogginess as his usual morning mood (even if it was especially bad that day). The older sighs, he could have helped him and prevented this somehow, but instead he ignored all the signs, chalking it up as normal Hyungwon behavior. 

Suddenly, he has this urge to see the younger’s face, as if thinking about him all day hasn’t been enough. 

So to alleviate the anxiety gnawing at him, he pulls the comforter down slowly, not wanting to wake the other. 

Seeing Hyungwon’s face, Hoseok feels some of his anxiety and worry dissipate into thin air. Seeing his colored cheeks is a lot better than seeing his face as pale as a ghost’s. The fever patch Kihyun probably put on has peeled off halfway, and some strands of his hair is sticking to his forehead. 

Hoseok’s eyes soften at Hyungwon’s sleeping face, no wonder he loved sleep so much, he looked so at peace with his eyes closed, plump lips slightly parting with each breath. Drawn to him, he sneaks a hand into Hyungwon’s forehead, fingers light as he tucks the stray strands behind Hyungwon’s ears and fixes the crooked fever patch. 

Unconsciously, his hand slides its way into the flower’s (admittedly greasy) hair, and he finds himself caressing them softly, and is promptly horrified to see some of the flowers on his head have started to wilt. 

Hoseok panics, hand jerking away suddenly, and he doesn’t notice Hyungwon start to wake from under his touch. 

“Hoseok?” Hyungwon’s raspy voice says, and Hoseok flinches, shocked for only a moment, but he regains his composure quickly. 

“Hyungwon, hey.” Hoseok replies, hand flying back to stroke his hair, not even hesitating. Hyungwon’s eyes close, and he pushes himself into Hoseok’s touch. 

The two stay like this for a moment, Hoseok watching Hyungwon’s face as he starts to fall asleep again but the flower suddenly starts to sit up. Hoseok pulls his hand away, as if burned, and wondered: _did he not like that?_

“Sorry,” Hyungwon mumbles, “You must be tired, here’s your bed back.”

Hoseok doesn’t remember reacting so quickly to something, but here he is, hands flying over the the taller’s shoulders to keep him from getting up.

“What are you talking about? You’re sleeping here tonight. Come on.” 

Hoseok pushes Hyungwon to lie back down, the flower’s body too weak to even fight back. Hoseok holds him down like that for a moment, and Hyungwon stares right up at him, too. 

God, Hyungwon looks so vulnerable and tired, it's hurting Hoseok's heart just looking at him. Hoseok thought Hyungwon always acted like he has an illness, always lying down and preferring to rest, but seeing him actually sick is making him think twice. 

Unlike his golden tan skin, he looks much too pale right now, lips cracked, and his cheeks are without their usual color. The flowers on his head that usually look animated are bowing and weakening, and they're probably mirroring how Hyungwon feels right now. 

But still, Hyungwon manages to look like the most beautiful being Hoseok has ever seen. How can he do this to Hoseok? How can he make him have thoughts like this when he should be taking care of the younger, not admiring him. How can he let himself have a crush on the flower when he's unsure of his own feelings for Jinhee?

_A crush? Don't make me laugh._

It's making everything much more complicated in Hoseok's mind, but he reminds himself that the one thing that should be on his mind right now is making the younger feel better. Only that, and nothing more. 

So Hoseok forces himself to move away from the younger, still staring intently at him with half-lidded eyes. He practically ripped himself away to stumble to the bathroom, picking up some clothes on the way. 

Hoseok brushes his teeth and washes his face quickly, not wanting to keep the flower on his bed waiting. There are certain things that make him feel better when he's sick. And one of those things is company. So he finishes quickly, stripping down his pants to his boxers, and wears his shirt as he exits the bathroom. 

(Usually, Hoseok would sleep without a shirt, but being with Hyungwon... It might just weird him out.)

Hyungwon is facing his side when he steps out, eyelids drooping but awakening when he sees the older. Hoseok internally heaves a sigh of relief. Thank goodness Hyungwon didn't leave the bed, knowing how stubborn the man can be, Hoseok thought he was gonna do some lifting tonight. 

"Do you need anything? Water? Medicine? Tea?" Hoseok asks as he fixes his shirt. 

Hyungwon shakes his head, "I'm good."

Hoseok smiles, "Good." He says before he moves towards the bed, lifting the covers and settling next to Hyungwon. He catches his arms and pulls the younger closer to him, putting him against his chest and tangles his legs with his before the younger could say anything. 

Hoseok could see the younger hesitate, but ultimately put his hand against his toned chest to get up slightly from his hold. It seems Hyungwon was surprised enough to regain energy.

Propped on his elbow, Hyungwon still has to look up to send him a confused look, "What are you doing?" 

"Hugging you?" Hoseok chuckles like it's the most normal thing in the world. He pats Hyungwon's hand on his chest. "Come on. I swear you'll feel better in the morning." 

The younger looks like he has doubts, but succumbs to Hoseok anyway, albeit slowly. Hyungwon lies back down, but his posture is all rigid and it looks really uncomfortable, so to put him more at ease, Hoseok starts to stroke Hyungwon's hair, plucking the wilted flowers gently and humming songs under his breath. 

"Why're you doing this again?" Hyungwon asks, his body slowly moving out of the rigid stance earlier. 

"Well, when I was younger, my mom always cuddled me when I got sick and I always got better in the morning. Always. I don't know if it'll work for you, but it's worth a try, right?" Hoseok answers, the vibrations of his voice going straight to Hyungwon, who has his ear pressed aginst Hoseok's chest.

Then, he tugs Hyungwon closer, and tangles his legs with his further. "Besides, isn't this comfortable?" 

Hyungwon doesn't reply for a short moment, but then he huffs and laughs weakly, melting completely in his embrace. "Yeah, it is." 

And wraps his arms around Hoseok, too. 

Hoseok remembers the last time he felt so elated at having arms around him, and it was when Jinhee had hugged him after she had said yes to becoming his girlfriend. But having Hyungwon simply hug him back right now, because he's sick is giving him the major case of butterflies. 

Hoseok can't lie to himself anymore.

He has feelings for Hyungwon.

He had known that for some time now, yes. But never has he acknowledged it like this, he'd just always throw off that train of thought and try to forget about it. How can he just accept these feelings when he hasn't moved on from Jinhee? Hoseok thought that he already was, but having Jinhee text him now still has him feeling _something._ Isn't that telling enough?

So he had ignored them, for who knows how long, he doesn't even know when it had all started. And looking at Hyungwon now, he knows he can't keep lying to himself.

Not when his feelings are so blatant, even to himself. 

Beside him, Hyungwon lets out a drowsy giggle, "Hoseok, why is your heart beating so fast? It's distracting." He teases. 

Hyungwon is only teasing him, but Hoseok feels his world freeze. Who thought it was a good idea to put Hyungwon against his chest anyway?

"Shut up, I rushed out the bathroom to comfort you like this, and this is what I get?" The older lets out a shaky scoff, and pets Hyungwon's hair to calm himself. 

"It'll calm down after a while, so go to sleep!" Hoseok segues into a scold, desperately wanting to change the topic.

Hyungwon sleepily hums, snuggling further into Hoseok's chest. "Okay then, goodnight."

"Goodnight." Hoseok replies a beat later. 

Goodness, that was close. Taking deep breaths, he tries to calm himself and resumes plucking out the wilted flowers from Hyungwon's head to distract himself. 

It does take his mind off of it, and by the time he's done, he sees that Hyungwon is already sound asleep, chest puffing out in even breaths. He smiles down at the flower, _Hyungwon really looks at peace the most when he's asleep._

Hoseok wishes he could look that peaceful. However, he knows that he can't ever achieve that sort of quiet if all these confusing feelings keep brewing inside of him. 

Hoseok knows that a part of him still longs for Jinhee, and he knows that he's hoping already, even though Jinhee probably only sees him as a friend. Apparently, heartbreak isn't enough of a lesson for him to move on. So now, he steels his resolve, and promises to talk to Jinhee for closure, no matter how scary that sounds. 

_Closure,_ so Hoseok can finally move on. He deserves that, doesn't he?

He deserves to be freed of the shackles that confine him, though he's the one that made them in the first place. He deserves to resolve the confusion in him, and live without doubting himself. Doesn't he?

And most of all, he deserves to love again. And if it so happens that the one he ends up loving is Hyungwon, then... He deserves him too, doesn't he?

Maybe he doesn't. But that won't stop Hoseok from doing what he needs to do.

His phone rings with a familiar bell, a ringtone he knows is Jinhee's, and it's a message. Yet, for some reason, he doesn't feel the urge to get up and reply immediately. For once, he doesn't feel the need to keep the conversation going, and going, and going.

Instead, he wraps his arms around Hyungwon’s warmer form tighter and lets his eyelids drop. Sleepily smiling to himself as he loses himself to sleep with the hopes that Hyungwon will be all better tomorrow.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello... its me.... i crawled out from the depths of school to post this, hopefully its aight!!! 
> 
> quick question: is everything going too fast?? should i go slower on the plot??
> 
> your answers would really help me figure out how to write this fic (●´ω｀●) 
> 
> and as always, thank you for your kudos and comments!! they mean hella lot to me!! ♡♡♡


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